I always wanted to write fiction. Always. As far back as I can remember it's been integral to my sense of myself - everything else was always a displacement activity.

If you want to be proud of yourself, then do things in which you can take pride

A clear vision, backed by definite plans, gives you a tremendous feeling of confidence and personal power.

To find a mountain path all by oneself gives a greater feeling of strength than to take a path that is shown.

I like the silent church before the service begins, better than any preaching.

Desire outweighs footwork when it comes to crashing the glass

It could be argued that every age gets the comfort savagery writer it deserves.

Anyone can get a job, but do you have a purpose?

If you are in a bad relationship with anyone else, it is because you are in a bad relationship with yourself.

Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea for ever.

The summer demands and takes away too much. /But night, the reserved, the reticent, gives more than it takes

At school, a careers adviser asked me what I wanted to be, and I said 'fashion journalist,' so writing for 'Vogue' has provided me with the opportunity to fulfill a dream.

Yes, I know. Death sits with his key in my lock. Not one day is taken for granted. Even nursery rhymes have put me in hock.

I grew up in the South, so a huge part of our American History education revolved around the Civil War.

The shape is the most important to me because it is what really matters and what's really missing in the market. Anything else is easier.

I'm not a natural comedian, as an artist. I studied comedy growing up. I would watch Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence, all day.

I believe in talking behind peoples' backs. That way, they hear it more than once.

You should choose organisations that are going to be flexible and supportive and recognise people are going through different stages in their careers and actually need different sorts of support.

I always say, to have a big dream requires the same effort as having a small dream. Dream big!

I've always been suspicious of TV, I've always found music and video to be an unhappy marriage.

Eazy-E was cooler than Barack Obama and Michelle put together.