If someone looks into your eyes, I read in a book one time, he'll see right into your soul. I didn't want anyone to see into my soul.

Anyone who has problems, or worries, anyone who laughs and cries, anyone who feels can write. It's only talking on paper... talking about the things that matter to us.

I loved teaching. It was my world. I only left because I was overwhelmed with three careers - teaching, writing, and my family.

Revision is the heart of writing. Every page I do is done over seven or eight times.

To me, family is everything. I want children to realize how important their families are and what a support system a family is.

Everything in my life affects my writing. There are no separate parts of my life.

Many times in my life I've been upset about something and said to myself, "Will this matter in two years?" Not even in two months.

I myself was terrified during the Second World War. The war started when I was six, and I was so sure that we were going to be bombed and killed. My imagination is my biggest plus and my worst minus.

I have no special talent, you know. I never took a writing course before I began to write.

Outside of family, writing is essential. To me, it's like breathing.

I cannot outline. I do not know what the next thing is going to happen in the book until it comes out of my fingers.

I tried to play flute because all the pretty girls played flute.

People quickly forget that people are people.

The measure of your life will be the measure of your courage.

If I lived in L.A., I'd be schizophrenic after a week.

chromosomal dance oh, heavenly happenstance rare creation, you -Marcus (Poetry Spam #22)

If you want to dispossess a people, the simplest way to do it is to tell their story and to start with 'secondly'.

I still feel like my game is very dangerous. I always will have my serve.

It's not just the emotional, intellectual, and physical gaps between you and money. The real gap is always between what you think you want and what you actually want, deep down.

We are monkeys. We like to chatter. Chattering doesn't cost us anything.

I sing the body that is electric! I celebrate the Self yet to be unveiled!