Of the female black authors, I really like Morrison's early books a lot. But she's really become so much a clone of Faulkner. He did it better.

Cooper wrote a novel which is absolutely indistinguishable from Austen, completely from a female point of view, completely English, no sense that he was an American.

Jane Austen is at the end of the line that begins with Samuel Richardson, which takes wonder and magic out of the novel, treats not the past but the present.

Writers always know whether you like them or not.

I derive a lot of the values that I try to bring into the public sphere from my private faith.

God is ever present. He's in every breath, in every step. He's here, always, always.

I feel most alive, most electric with faith, breath, and courage, when I think of God as a current that runs through all that is. Not by will or by choice. Not as a benediction but because there are laws even God must obey.

No matter what we face, put your total faith in God, and in time - not our time, but His time - He'll bring us through.