"He that is to govern a whole Nation, must read in himself, not this, or that particular man; but Mankind; which though it be hard to do, harder than to learn any Language, or Science; yet, when I shall have set down my own reading orderly, and perspicuously, the pains left another, will be only to consider, if he also find not the same in himself. For this kind of Doctrine, admitteth no other Demonstration."

"Reading African American women poets politicized me. And it was the fact that poetry politicized me that ha…"

"I’m a bit of a lone wolf…I don’t give interviews or do publicity unless I have a book out—too distracting. …"

"I read a book twice as fast as anybody else. First, I read the beginning, and then I read the ending, and t…"

"Of course, there is drawing in art as there is style in literature. Style that is mannered, that strains af…"

"Monckton Milnes was a social power in London, and of course he himself affected social eccentricity, challe…"

"The provision of basic services to the people is not a privilege. Nor is it a charitable act. The people al…"