Art is the only thing you cannot punch a button for. You must do it the old-fashioned way. Stay up and really burn the midnight oil. There are no compromises.

The ultimate of being successful is the luxury of giving yourself the time to do what you want to do.

I am here and you will know that I am the best and will hear me. The color of my skin or the kink of my hair or the spread of my mouth has nothing to do with what you are listening to.

Accomplishments have no color.

Who I am is the best I can be.

I have never given all of myself, even vocally, to anyone. I was taught to sing on your interest, not your capital.

Be black, shine, aim high.

If you're not feeling good about you, what you're wearing outside doesn't mean a thing.

You should always know when you're shifting gears in life. You should leave your era - it should never leave you.

For a long time the only time I felt beautiful-in the sense of being complete as a woman, as a human being, and even female-was when I was singing.

I prefer to leave standing up, like a well-mannered guest at a party.

If you don’t know what your barriers are, it’s impossible to figure out how to tear them down.

I nurture very good intentions about you. May you die in peace.

None of us plan--or intend--to get into trouble. The problem is, we don't plan not to.

There's nothing wrong with things taking time.

Poetry, almost by definition, calls attention to its language and form.

I don't have to lay on the couch and see a therapist because my therapist is in my paint brushes.

Whenever there is a conflict between human rights and property rights, human rights must prevail.

I eat meat. I don't go to the gym.

This is going to take a while. I'm a fantasy author. We have trouble with the concept of brevity.

But I've always believed that Christine Cagney shouldn't be played past a certain age.