Many writers do write about their families and their immediate loved ones and love experiences, either as children or as adults. And very often people get offended by it.

A woman whose smile is open and whose expression is glad has a kind of beauty no matter what she wears.

Grief is in two parts. The first is loss. The second is the remaking of life.

Some people who think they are in unhappy marriages are just in unhappy bodies.

A person who has no secrets is a liar. We always fold ourselves away from others just enough to preserve a secret or two, something that we cannot share without destroying our inner landscape.

People always tell me either A. you love him. B. you hate him. My usual answer? C. All of the above.

I am not a perfect friend, and it is impossible not to rebuff or be rebuffed if you move about the world.

I've told the same story twelve different ways, but I think that's just part of what writers do. Once may not be enough.

What other people think of me is not really my major concern in life. What other people think of what I write is another matter.

I have two writer daughters, and a psychoanalyst daughter, and a lawyer daughter, and they wish we didn't write, I'm sure, but we write. If we were a painting family, we would paint.

You really can't say things that upset someone in print and expect them to be nice and leave you their money. That's just not reasonable.

Grief shared was grief lessened.

Miracles are exceptions principles are the rules.

Years wrinkle the face but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.

Mental strength is something you either have or you haven't.

You can't just come out and do the same moves that you always do because someone just basically came into the center of the ring and spun around on their head and did a back flip.

There should be a new way to record standings in this league; one column for wins, one for losses and one for gifts.

The soul is strong that trusts in goodness.

Evangelicalism can only remain evangelical if it is passionately serious about truth and theology.

What church could compete with the fireworks of the pure soul?

It's amazing, especially coming from the small city of Paterson, to have all of those people just being behind you and supporting your career and understanding where you come from.