I spend a lot of time with my characters.

Because I am hard, you will not like me. But the more you hate me, the more you will learn. I am hard but I am fair.

There's a lot of whiners in every crowd.

Without discipline, there is no Marine Corp.

I was stationed at a Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego from 1965 to 1967.

I always love to come to Austin.

I firmly believe that you live and learn, and if you don't learn from past mistakes, then you need to be drug out and shot.

It's my firm conviction that when Uncle Sam calls, by God we go, and we do the best that we can.

Everybody respects the Vietnam Veterans of America.

I'm never, like I say, I'm never happy, I'm never satisfied, it's never good enough.

What is your major malfunction?

Biologically valid races are not real, but cultural racism is, and we must understand how this cultural reality affects our everyday interactions.

All mothers breed dead children.

Details make stories human, and the more human a story can be, the better.

Ornamentation is the principal part of architecture, considered as a subject of fine art.

All life is a struggle for existence. Why should it cease to be a struggle if it spreads among the stars?

Hunger is actually the worst weapon of mass destruction. It claims millions of victims each year.

The fine arts are five in number, namely: painting, sculpture, poetry, music, and architecture, the principal branch of the latter being pastry.

I didn't change the Constitution; the equality principle was there from the start. I just was an advocate for seeing its full realization.

I was silent as a child, and silenced as a young woman; I am taking my lumps and bumps for being a big mouth, now, but usually from those whose opinion I don't respect.

What makes me feel strong? Being in love and work. I must work.