Dressing badly has been a refuge much of my life, a way of compelling others to engage with my mind, not my physical presence. Page. 283

I have come to believe that in order to thrive, a child must have at least one adult in her life who shows her unconditional love, respect, and confidence.

I was fifteen years old when I understood how it is that things break down: people can't imagine someone else's point of view.

I would warn any minority student today against the temptations of self-segregation: take support and comfort from your own group as you can, but don’t hide within it.

In my experience when a friend unloaded about a boyfriend or spouse, the listener soaked up the complaint and remembered it long after the speaker had forgiven the offense.

[T]he more critical lesson I learned that day is still one too many kids never figure out: don't be shy about making a teacher of any willing party who knows what he or she is doing.

I couldn’t even tell if I had any sadness of my own, because I was so full of Abuelita’s sadness.

... a surplus of effort could overcome a deficit of confidence. Page 115

I accepted what the Sisters taught in religion class: that God is loving, merciful, charitable, forgiving. That message didn't jibe with adults smacking kids.

Many of the gaps in my knowledge and understanding were simply limits of class and cultural background, not lack of aptitude or application as I feared. Page 135

I've always believed phone calls from kids must be allowed if mothers are to feel welcome in the workplace, as anyone who has worked in my chambers can attest.

If we don't cherish those who stay near, what do we have? Only longing.

Knowledge rooted in experience shapes what we value and as a consequence how we know what we know as well as how we use what we know.

Nobody can go back to how it was. The dust bowl dried us all up bitter as seeds and spat us out all over the land and none of us yet has taken root.

One never hugs one's good luck so affectionately as when listening to the relation of some horrible misfortunes which has overtaken others.

You can feel better about yourself in a very short period of time depending on the kind of magic that you are doing.

The most important day of a person's education is the first day of school, not Graduation Day.

I have often felt bad that I am not great at any one thing. Like just a super super singer. Or the Gregory Hines of something

Got a budget for the lawyer though.

You cannot change what you will not confront.

I really can't pinpoint the one moment when I said I want to be a comic.