The greatest gift a parent can leave a child is that parent's own independence.

It was good, and nothing good is truly lost. It stays part of a person, becomes part of their character. So part of you goes everywhere with me. And part of me is yours, forever

Love she had found, had a strange way of multiplying. Doubling, trebling itself, so that, as each child arrived, there was always more than enough to go around.

She had loved them all, her children. Loved each one the best, but for different reasons.

When people don't understand the meaning of freedom in their lives, they will continue to live as though they're still oppressed.

Whether we like it or not, we all come from someplace. And at some point in our lives, we have to make peace with that place.

Exploitation to finance a beach house in Hawaii was one thing. Doing it to feed your kids was another.

Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching.

I try to retire jokes as soon as I can once I put them on an album. But I can't think of anything I just stopped doing for no reason.

I don't want to live on past records.

We may not have the ability to change all of the world's wrongs, but we can make a difference where we are.

Sometimes the most modest changes can bring about enormous effects.

As a novelist you have just unlimited budget, total creative control. You really get to have your cake - all the cake - and then you can have a second cake if you wanted to.

A little levity is appropriate in a dangerous trade.