Janie knew that God tore down the old world every evening and built a new one by sun-up. It was wonderful to see it take form with the sun and emerge from the gray dust of its making.

There are years that ask questions and years that answer.

Some people could look at a mud puddle and see an ocean with ships.

So she sat on the porch and watched the moon rise. Soon its amber fluid was drenching the earth, and quenching the thirst of the day.

No hour is ever eternity, but it has its right to weep.

It was the meanest moment of eternity.

They bowed down to him rather, because he was all of these things, and then again he was all of these things because the town bowed down.

Tain't no use in you cryin' . . . But folks is meant to cry 'bout somethin' or other. Better leave things de way dey is. Youse young yet. No tellin' whut mout happen befo' you die.

He was the average mortal. It troubled him to get used to the world one way and then suddenly have it turn different.

Honey, de white man is de ruler of everything as fur as Ah been able tuh find out. Maybe it's some place way off in de ocean where de black man is in power, but we don't know nothin' but what we see.

Please God, please suh, don't let him love nobody else but me. Maybe Ah'm is uh fool, Lawd, lak dey say, but Lawd, Ah been so lonesome, and Ah been waitin', Jesus. Ah done waited uh long time.

Every living object has to change every moment just to live.

Let God create in you His masterpiece. He will make you truly different and joyfully weird.

Like swimming riding writing or playing golf happiness can be learned.

Patton was living in the Dark Ages. Soldiers were peasants to him. I didn't like that attitude.

Civilization is the art of living together with people not entirely like oneself.

The Nets' a stone throw from where I used to throw bricks ...So it's only right I'm still tossing 'round Knicks.

Everything was coming my way, but I was going down. I was painfully empty.

Disorder and violence are, in fact, things that might check the pace of India's progress.

Speculative fiction is where my heart lies. It's what I read growing up, and it's what I read as an adult.