To be up on stage and interacting with musicians, that was a huge epiphany for me.

I think that's the role of an artist, right? To touch someone and make us stretch out just a little bit more.

In an abusive relationship - we'll talk about men and women - women are often restrained, by words or out of fear, from leaving. They will tolerate abuse up to and including being put to death.

I just kind of tried to stay true to myself.

I just love music. I love all kinds of music, and I was exposed to it, me and my siblings, from the time we were in utero.

Once I started singing, I realized it was a language I'd forgotten I could speak.

Hey, maybe I can sing locally and earn a couple of bucks.

I've never been the type of singer that can sing in heels and the gown and all this stuff, because I can't get to where I want to go while I'm in that getup.

You have to be willing to look a certain way, and hold your body a certain way, until you get to where you want to go - I'm talking about musically, now.

There's a certain place you want to get to, and in order to do that, you have to be vulnerable.

I often compare singing to lovemaking because there's so many similarities.

I was thinking of how sometimes, trying to say the right thing to people, it's like some kind of brain surgery...

Who wants to be used? I love to read, so books are my main friends. They're always available, always friendly, and always interesting, and they never make me choose sides.

I will do what I can

Imagination doesn't always mean looking outside of the box, but taking a closed box and seeing a different world from within it.

The US condones violence in El Salvador.

The power of home run hitters in the majors is different from those here. It's probably difficult for me to match that power now.

Because I stopped dieting already six months ago, and I think it's important to bring out a book like this and you are there a year later and say look, I'm still like this.

You can't be more alive than you are—but you can awaken to what living is.

Branding is a profound manifestation of the human condition

What portion in the world can the artist have, Who has awakened from the common dream, But dissipation and despair?