“I come from a very non-accepting family, but I'm very accepting.”

“People can undergo a sudden change of thinking and loyalties under threat of death or intense social pressure and isolation from friends and family.”

“I can't imagine dating a boy, meeting him only outside the home. What's a home and family for if it's not the center of one's life?”

“A woman should be home with the children, building that home and making sure there's a secure family atmosphere.”

“No doubt, the White House thinks the American people know Obama's story. But since the Inauguration, we've seen only the president's present: his perfect family, his Ivy League elegance, his effortless mastery of complex issues. We never see him sweat. And we forget that he ever had to struggle.”

“My family's lineage is five generations of artists who never made it.”

“There can be hope only for a society which acts as one big family, not as many separate ones.”

“You never know when some small thing will lead to a big idea. Travel is very inspirational - but it's in the ordinary that I find my themes of love and work and family.”

“Both within the family and without, our sisters hold up our mirrors: our images of who we are and of who we can dare to be.”