Johnson Publishing offered me an opportunity to build back iconic brands like Ebony and Jet magazines.

There's no time to waste. Every day, there needs to be movement on something.

I don’t do ordinary work. That is not me in the least.

It's the past, it's behind us, and that's the end of it.

I love bringing people together. I think that the environment is so important in terms of what kind of relationships you might be able to create, how people get to know each other.

I'm a business person at heart.

How can we salute - encourage the American spirit? That means many different things to many different people.

As social secretary, I was responsible for putting together all the events that the President and the First Lady host.

We have not really advertised Chicago internationally.

I was in the White House for a year and a half. Up to that point, all my jobs had been very unglamorous.

My mother was a teacher, and when she wanted to show me art and literature and science, she'd take me to museums, parks and free exhibitions.

There were statistically more women than men on the planet. Why should every major religion have been founded by men and propagated by men?

I will sign a universal health-care bill into law by the end of my first term as president that will cover every American and cut the cost of a typical family’s premium by up to $2,500 a year.

I can write the stuff and play it myself and have something in my head, but the best feeling is when somebody else plays it and they're hearing something other than what I'm hearing.

A lot of it is "how do you work with people". How do you get people to work with you and do wonderful things.

Question is, are you bozos smart enough to feel stupid?

A classic is like a hidden treasure. Its core is buried under so many layers of varnish that it can be reached only by patience and infiltration.

I just love historical fiction.

I've just always had a boyfriend my whole life, and I've - now I'm really focusing on myself and I think that's more important right now.

I'm happy doing what I'm doing, and if you have that kind of attitude then everything else from there on is a bonus.