One of the monstrous things that slavery in this country caused was the breakup of families. I mean, physical labor, horrible; beatings, horrible; lynching death, all of that, horrible. But the living life of a parent who, A, has no control over what happens to your children, none. They don't belong to you. You may not even nurse them. They may be shipped off somewhere, as in "Beloved" the mother was, to be nursed by somebody who was not able to work in the fields and was a wet nurse.

My world did not shrink because I was a black female writer. It just got bigger.

Shallow believers prefer a shallow God.

Women's rights is not only an abstraction, a cause; it is also a personal affair. It is not only about us; it is also about me and you. Just the two of us.

As you enter positions of trust and power, dream a little before you think.

The language must be careful and must appear effortless. It must not sweat. It must suggest and be provocative at the same time.

You need a whole community to raise a child. I have raised two children, alone.