I have put my pen at the service of some of the most persecuted and misunderstood people in the world. So far as I know nothing of the kind has ever been attempted before in fiction.

Language is surely too small a vessel to contain these emotions of mind and body that have somehow awakened a response in the spirit.

A great many women can feel and behave like men. Very few of them can behave like gentlemen.

[On homosexuality:] Our love may be faithful even unto death and beyond - yet the world will call it unclean.

Do try to remember this: even the world's not so black as it is painted" -Valerie to Stephen (pg. 408)

The world hid its head in the sands of convention, so that by seeing nothing it might avoid Truth.

It is bad for the soul to know itself a coward, it is apt to take refuge in mere wordy violence.

Life's not all beer and skittles

in this world there is only toleration for the so-called normal.

the realization of great mutual love can at times be so overwhelming a thing, that even the bravest of hearts may grow fearful.

clothes, after all, are a form of self-expression.

We want you. We wanted you yesterday, we want you today and we'll want you tomorrow. There's nothing you could do to change that.

No society can legitimately call itself civilized if a sick person is denied medical aid because of lack of means.

The reward of a work is to have produced it; the reward of effort is to have grown by it.

Invited or not, God is present.

I was a big "Blue Valentine" fan. I really loved that movie. And I thought the performances were just unbelievably real, which is certainly what I always strive for in my work.

Not only will America go to your country and kill all your people. But they'll come back 20 years later and make a movie about how killing your people made their soldiers feel sad.

What is the task of the translator? I think the task depends on the book and on the translator.

If you're going through hell, don't stop, keep moving!

I've opposed black regimes and white regimes, leftist regimes and rightist regimes. I'm close to Aristide because I have respect for him, but all that is beside the point.

You'll see it when you believe it.