“Language imparts identity, meaning, and perspective to our human condition. Writers are either polluters or part of the cleanup.”

“Being fat means being left out, scorned, and vilified.”

“When one of us tells the truth, he makes it easier for all of us to open our hearts to our pain and that of others.”

“When Europeans arrived on this continent, they blew it with the Native Americans. They plowed over them, taking as much as they could of their land and valuables, and respecting almost nothing about the native cultures. They lost the wisdom of the indigenous peoples-wisdom about the land and connectedness to the great web of life…We have another chance with all these refugees. People come here penniless but not cultureless. They bring us gifts. We can synthesize the best of our traditions with the best of theirs. We can teach and learn from each other to produce a better America…”

“The fullness of life comes from an identity built on giving and on joy.”

“I want to write. I have always wanted to write. I do not care it I am not good at it. I just want to try.”

“I think anorexia is a metaphor. It is a young woman's statement that she will become what the culture asks of its women, which is that they be thin and nonthreatening. Anorexia signifies that a young woman is so delicate that, like the women of China with their tiny broken feet, she needs a man to shelter and protect her from a world she cannot handle. Anorexic women signal with their bodies "I will take up only a small amount of space. I won't get in the way." They signal "I won't be intimidating or threatening." (Who is afraid of a seventy-pound adult?)”