There is nothing of any consequence in education, in the economy, in city planning, in social policy that does not concern black people.

A bestseller is a book that non-book buyers buy

Don’t beg anybody for anything, especially love.

...a habit that had become one of those necessary things for the night... surely a body-friendly if not familiar-lying next to you. Someone whose touch is a reassurance, not an affront or a nuissance. Whose heavy breathing neither enrages nor discusts you, but amuses you like that of a cherished pet.

At some point in life the world's beauty becomes enough. You don't need to photograph, paint or even remember it. It is enough.

Can't nothing heal without pain, you know.

Intimacy is extremely important to me and I want it to be extremely important to the readers.