When the door to my writing chamber gasps shut and the almost imperceptible sigh of a rose petal falls on my desk, I know that my muse is present.

In order to grow, I promise you'll have to let go of some habits. 10 times out of 10, they'll be the habits you're most in love with.

All those other girls are cake...I'm Crème brûlée...Tiramisu, if you will. Just a few notches above.

I will Basquiat the canvas of your body like a Broadway Junction wall…and Gordon Parks you for those dark midnights when your scent fades.

You and those shot-glass eyes, deep swirling pools of 80-proof firewater, with the depth and profundity of Saturn’s spinning pulsars…

Wrote my way out of the hood...thought my way out of poverty! Don't tell me that knowledge isn't power. Education changes everything.

The most empowering thing you can do though is to create innovative ways to bring in livable wages. That begins with a debt free lifestyle.

A writer will divine a metaphor from a pattern on a dress, or a gesture, because sunsets have been done before.

Whatever it is you want in this life, be it material things, a place you want to be, or an experience you want to have, you must first make it real in the realm of your consciousness.

Some books must be sipped slowly like a strong bourbon. Most books must be devoured more than once because as you age you distill more.

Remember to remember: sometimes your adversary is your biggest asset. Where would David be without Goliath? Jesus without Judas?

A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.

Cynicism is one of the terrible obstacles to progress.

Mankind is like dogs, not gods - as long as you don't get mad they'll bite you - but stay mad and you'll never be bitten. Dogs don't respect humility and sorrow.

I am not a genius. But I am nerdy.

You can free things from alien or accidental laws, but not from the laws of their own nature. You may, if you like, free a tiger from his bars; but do not free him from his stripes.

In terms of the overall economy, we've got challenges and the big focus has got to be on recovery, on repair, and that's going to take a while.

In real life, I try to be honest but not overshare. There are people that turn every conversation into a therapy session and you want to start charging them.

To those we love best we say the least

Worry is the warning light that shows I’ve stopped looking to God to meet my needs.

I've won at every level, except college and pro.