People value honesty. They value integrity. They value competence and courage and all those kinds of things.

A soldier is the most-trusted profession in America. Americans have trust in you because you trust each other. No matter how difficult times are, those of us who love the Army must stick with it.

Readiness is the best way of truly taking care of soldiers.

When I read books, it is like I have met the sacred souls.

I would have to confess that in the land of the toubabu, I had managed to save only myself.

Publishing a volume of verse is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo.

Modernization means Westernization.

Disasters are usually a good time to re-examine what we've done so far, what mistakes we've made, and what improvements should come next.

I'm useless scrabbling around at home. I get on everyone's nerves, including my own. I'm not very good at amusing myself.

Seventy-five percent of great art is hard work only about twenty-five percent is great talent.

We have traveled through space and time. We have been many places. Visited many worlds. And there is good news: the acoustics everywhere are terrific.

We just cared more about connecting the world than anyone else. And we still do today.

Literature is the one place in any society where, within the secrecy of our own heads, we can hear voices talking about everything in every possible way.