I Write Out Of Defiance.

The Sound Of Words In A Novel Is A Pretty Amazing Thing, And I Am Concerned With The Sound Of Every Word I Write.

When I Start To Write Something, I Suppose I Want It To Change Me, To Make Me Into Something Not Myself.

What Frustrates Me Is To See African-americans Behave As Though What European-americans Say Is Worthwhile. It Simply Isn't. It's Just Some Silly People Who Can Make Laws And Have The Power To Enforce Them. I'm Often Amazed At The Conversations Black People Have About Themselves. They Ought To Be Having These Conversations About White People. It's White People Who Are Flawed And At Fault.

I Didn't Think Of Myself As An Outsider Because Of My Race Because... Where I Grew Up I Was The Same Race As Almost Everyone Else... It Is True That I Noticed Things That No One Else Seemed To Notice. And I Think Only People Who Are Outsiders Do This.

I Didn't Know It Was Possible To Be Successful As A Writer, So I Wasn't Afraid To Fail.