Effective readers, even at their earliest levels, read in five to seven word phrases rather than word by word.

Classroom libraries are not 25 copies of 5 books. Classroom libraries are 1000-2000 copies of different books.

Better to lose a book to a child, than to lose a child to illiteracy.

The Leadership Seduction of storytelling invites self-pity, exaggerates one's importance, and encourages inaction.

I was about six years old, still Daddy's little girl, even though Daddy couldn't care less about me. How could I expect any man every would?

I didn't grow up wanting to become an actor at all. I wanted to be a sports trainer and I was actually an aerobics instructor.

When you're in that zone there's nothing really the defense can do ... It doesn't matter who's sticking you because everything looks good.

Even cities have their graves!

Balm of the summer night, balm of the ordinary, imperial joy and sorrow of human existence, the dreamed as well as the lived— what could be dearer than this, given the closeness of death?

'Pulp Fiction' is an amazing film, and I haven't made one nearly as good.

People think I have an interesting walk. Hell, I'm just trying to hold my gut in.

At the end of the day, besides everything that I do, I'm still just a 20-year-old girl and a Texan, at that.

Hope is putting faith to work when doubting would be easier