It all I can do not to cry. I make myself wood I say to myself, Celie, you a tree. That's how I come to know trees fear man.

I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.

Time moves slowly, but passes quickly.

It didn't take long to realize I didn't hardly know nothing. And that if you ast yourself why you black or a man or a woman or a bush it don't mean nothing if you don't ast why you here, period

But it ain't easy, trying to do without God even if you know he ain't there, trying to do without him is a strain

Everything want to be loved. Us sing and dance and holler, just trying to be loved.

Now. Is this life or not?I be so calm.If she come, I be happy. If she don’t, I be content.And then I figure this the lesson I was suppose to learn.

And I try to teach my heart not to want nothing it can't have.

Sofia the kind of woman no matter what she have in her hand she make it look like a weapon.

Anyhow, I say, the God I been praying and writing to is a man. And act just like all the other mens I know. Trifling, forgitful, and lowdown.

Hard times' is a phrase the English love to use, when speaking of Africa. And it is easy to forget that Africa's 'hard times' were made harder by them.

You're free to wear whatever you want, you know

Music is part of God's universe.

Afraid to Die Loveless Because I think if you die without knowing love in this life, that's how you'll spend eternity. Alone. Frozen.

Families composed of rugged individualists have to do things obliquely.

I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, born of my actions, related through my actions, and have my actions as my arbitrator. Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that I will fall heir.

Actors never discuss future plans.

Just because it's true, doesn't mean it's believable or interesting.

Sending a book out into the world is a lot like sending your child to the first day of kindergarten. You hope the other kids play nice and that she makes friends.

A real leader uses every issue, no matter how serious and sensitive, to ensure that at the end of the debate we should emerge stronger and more united than ever before.