Today is going to be free of the past. Today, the past can't hurt me.

No matter what we've done, no matter the disappointments and sullied blunders, today is the opportunity to do right by ourselves.

We have today and hopefully tomorrow to be the best version of ourselves.

My tunnel vision allows me to have a longer work day than most writers. I'm thankful for that.

I always feel that as the author, once I know what a character is ashamed of, then I can go about making her truthful on the page.

I'm a semi-failed writer, but I'm a capital-F Failed musician.

I just thought it was important that people knew right from the jump that I've got problems. But in all seriousness, that's a huge part of my writing process.

In my life the right question is simply this: What can I do to be happy today?

Self-respect doesn't come naturally to me. I need to constantly remind myself and do the work to err on the side of self-respect, rather than self-punishment.

I struggle with staying clean every day, and what really keeps me from doing something stupid is my daughter.

I want to be the kind of adult that keeps learning. I want to always be open to new experiences.

Alvin smiled back, and kissed her. "People talk about fools counting chickens before they hatch. That's nothing. We name them.

Every family is a family of alligators.

The dead of midnight is the noon of thought.

She's a big-hearted girl with hips to match.

I'm good at picking friends.

I have real fears for Cuba based on the South American experience. Where you have had such a stern regime, as Fidel's [Castro], there is no culture of politics.

Kids need to start thinking for themselves. Not to be like their friends that think they're individuals. I don't want you to be like us, I want you to be like you.

And then their voices stopped and their souls stood still and they ceased being who they had been. Because who they were had always been determined by him.

When I was married, I wasn't loving myself. Now I'm in love with myself. I will get married again.

Choosing one path means abandoning others - if you try to follow every possible path you will end up following none.