“I ruled because I was the hottest. You see, I’m one of the beautiful people.”

“Do you love me because I’m beautiful, or am I beautiful because you love me?”

“This isn’t the ‘I wanna see other people’ speech, is it? Because I’m not sharing you. No fucking way.”

“No, I’m not an American. I’m one of 22 million black people who are the victims of Americanism. One of the … victims of democracy, nothing but disguised hypocrisy. So I’m not standing here speaking to you as an American, or a patriot, or a flag-saluter, or a flag-waver – no, not I! I’m speaking as a victim of this American system. I don’t see any American dream; I see an American nightmare!”

“You always say that I’m beautiful. Will you still love me when I’m old?"Geoff’s hand made small circles on his stomach."Elijah." Geoff rarely called him that, and he turned his head to look into Geoff’s eyes. "I don’t love you because you’re beautiful. You’re beautiful because I love you.”

“Do I love you because you're beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you? Am I making believe I see in you, a woman too perfect to be really true? Do I want you because you're wonderful, or are you wonderful because I want you? Are you the sweet invention of a lover's dream, or are you really as beautiful as you seem?”