At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice.

There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill, of things unknown, but longed for still, and his tune is heard on the distant hill, for the caged bird sings of freedom.

Life is going to give you just what you put in it. Put your whole heart in everything you do, and pray, then you can wait.

When things were very bad his soul just crawled behind his heart and curled up and went to sleep

To be left alone on the tightrope of youthful unknowing is to experience the excruciating beauty of full freedom and the threat of eternal indecision.

I had given up some youth for knowledge, but my gain was more valuable than the loss

Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning.

Language is man's way of communicating with his fellow man and it is language alone which separates him from the lower animals.

Few, if any, survive their teens.

It may be enough, however, to have it said that we survive in exact relationship to the dedication of our poets (include preachers, musicians, and blues singers).

Who cares if somebody dances better? Doing my very best is rewarding internally.

It so happens that I'm pro choice.

The soul of man is infinite in what it covets.

The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is the hand over your whole self--all your wishes and precautions--to Christ.

If you can discover what you like, if you can discover what you truly believe about most of the major matters of life, you will be able to write a story which is honest and original and unique.

The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.

I want to see a Jew in the White house.

Before Huey was 5, I could take him to work with me. Now, though, he has sports and lessons and friends, and it's not fair to remove him from his whole life.

I do have the power. I can decide for myself what I want, even if the thought stresses me out.

We could not have gotten where we are without coming the way we came.