The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.

Never ever accept 'Because You Are A Woman' as a reason for doing or not doing anything.

We teach girls shame; close your legs, cover yourself, we make them feel as though by being born female they're already guilty of something.

To choose to write is to reject silence.

Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in.

If you start thinking about being likable you are not going to tell your story honestly.

There are people who dislike you because you do not dislike yourself.

Our society teaches a woman at a certain age who is unmarried to see it as a deep personal failure. While a man at a certain age who is unmarried has not quite come around to making his pick.

Privilege blinds, because it's in its nature to blind. Don't let it blind you too often. Sometimes you will need to push it aside in order to see clearly.

Culture does not make people. People make culture.

You must never behave as if your life belongs to a man. Do you hear me?' Aunty Ifeka said. 'Your life belongs to you and you alone.

How small we feel with our petty ambitions and strivings in the presence of the great elemental forces of Nature!

Lila cringed at the ghost of Barron's words, a memory with edges still too sharp to touch.

Sometimes I wish I could drive a car, but I'm gonna drive a car one day, so I don't worry about that.

The Indians were well mounted and felt proud and elated because they had been made United States soldiers.

Too many of us feel that we have to be perfect, in order to be loved.

Doesn't sunlight kill them? Doesn't it turn them to dust, or make them burst into flames or something?" "Nope. Vampires tan, just like you and me. Well, just like you. I tend to bleach.

My songs, well, they are sad, but in all of them the person singing them - me or whoever - is actually still trying and hasn't given up yet.

Instead of setting goals, seek defining moments. Those are the real tests, because you have to be willing to fail in a pressure situation in front of other people.

There is a good principle which created order, light, and man, and an evil principle which created chaos, darkness, and woman.

Think it more satisfactory to live richly than die rich.