"Quitting smoking is rather a marathon than a sprint. It is not a one-time attempt, but a longer effort."

“In terms of the way people see me, it breaks down into two very clear and distinct groups: those who think they know me from reading the papers and those who really know me by reading my books.”

“I always say that I'm a writer who writes more from place than race.”

Source : "Art Talk with Playwright Katori Hall". Interview with Paulette Beete, www.arts.gov. May 28, 2015.

“My family survived losing money to Bernie Madoff incredibly well compared to others.”

“It's always been my philosophy to try to make art out of the everyday and ordinary...it never occurred to me to leave home to make art.”

“We attempt to remember our collective American childhood, the way it was, but what we often remember is a combination of real past, pieces reshaped by bitterness and love, and, of course, the video past--the portrayals of family life on such television programs as "Leave it to Beaver" and "Father Knows Best" and all the rest.”

“In proportion as the exploitation of one individual by another is put an end to, the exploitation of one nation by another will also be put an end to. In proportion as the antagonism between classes within the nation vanishes, the hostility of one nation to another will come to an end.”

“I don't mind making jokes, but I don't want to look like one.”

“I still try to keep my eyes open. I'm always on the lookout for antlion traps in sandy soil, monarch pupae near milkweed, skipper larvae in locust leaves. These things are utterly common, and I've not seen one”