Writing fiction means putting a lot of what you believe about the world at risk, because you have to follow your characters.

And that was my homecoming. It was fine, I guess. Getting back feels like your first breath after nearly drowning. Even if it hurts, it's good.

War is too strange to be processed alone.

Veteran art creates a meeting place between veterans and civilians, or simply between veterans with different experiences.

It's not so much the question that offends me; it's that the people asking it don't seem to respect the moral seriousness of the question.

Fiction offered me tools that allowed me to approach a wider variety of issues than the events of my own life would.

If you're going to write about war, the ugly side is inevitable. Suffering and death are obviously part of war.

I've certainly thought a lot more about things like tyranny and patriotism and violence. I think I found some kind of clarity - definitely a thicker understanding.

If you can't beat your computer at chess, try kickboxing.

We should resume our language to science and leave the rest to silence

You can't fix things with a hug, but you can't make them any worse either.

To establish the kingdom of love is to live in dominion

Interlibrary loans are a wonder of the world and a glory of civilization.

Praise is the only gift for which people are really grateful. Marguerite, Countess of Blessington I praise loudly; I blame softly.

One of the things that EBONY [magazine] has done for years, decades is perspective. They knew what our audience was, they know who we are, so that's what I hope to do with this show.

I realized that kids everywhere go for the same stuff; and seeing as we'd done it in England, there's no reason why we couldn't do it in America too.

Men seem to think that Page 3 girls are only interested in money. Money doesn't impress me at all. Not in the slightest.

I sure love Ireland. The first trip I ever made was last year when I did this record in Dublin.