"As a writer, I can't think of anything more important than a language that is accurate and precise, but also beautiful and provocative."

"There's no such thing as race. There's only the human race."

"A writer's life is not about writing. It's about living."

"Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another."

"I am not interested in writing for white people. I am interested in writing for Black people."