How could I choose someone who would force me to give up my own small reach for meaning? I chose myself, and without consolation.

Don't be telling me--can't be done. That's some god damney white talk, that's what that is.

You come from your mauma, you sleep in the bed with her till you're near twenty years grown, and you still don't know what haunches in the dark corners of her.

To condemn slavery was one thing—that I could do in my own individual heart—but female ministers!

I was not sorry for loving Charleston or for leaving it. Geography had made me who I was.

Our emotions stem from our thoughts, redirect your thoughts to redirect your emotions.

We often do not see what we do not expect to see.

Things that appear on the front page of the newspaper as 'fact' are far more dangerous than the games played by a novelist, and can lead to wars.

I should stop expecting so much.

My first crush was my brothers best friend.

Of course it does on opening night, but I've never had that devastating stage fright that some people get, but apparently, you can develop it.

Every fighter have a plan until he's been beaten

Never lose interest in life and the world. Never allow yourself to become annoyed.

The best strategy for building a competitive organization is to help individuals become more of who they are.

When I came across something I liked, I wanted to find out as much as I could about it. This was as true of hearing Hoagy Carmichael for the first time as it was later when I first heard Boulez.