I acknowledge immense debt to the griots [tribal poets] of Africa -- where today it is rightly said that when a griot dies, it is as if a library has burned to the ground.

Either you deal with what is the reality, or you can be sure that the reality is going to deal with you.

My fondest hope is that "Roots" may start black, white, brown, red, yellow people digging back for their own roots. Man, that would make me feel 90 feet tall.

I look at my books the way parents look at their children. The fact that one becomes more successful than the others doesn't make me love the less successful one any less.

Never completely encircle your enemy. Leave him some escape, for he will fight even more desperately if trapped.