Suzan-Lori Parks

“My father was in the Army and we moved around a lot, and one of my favorite places was the library.”

“The writing of 'Topdog' was a great gift. I feel the play came to me because I realized that my circumstances, while causing me despair and heartbreak, also held great possibility, if only I could see it.”

“I don't read reviews. I refuse to have my ego inflated or deflated by someone I don't know.”

“Being a playwright of any race is difficult, and Lord knows it gets more difficult the further you get from the middle of the road. I don't know what kind of magic my mojo is working, but it's working.”

“One could get locked in by the Pulitzer, thinking, 'This is who I am.' Doors open with it, but doors in your mind could close.”

“My plays aren't stylistically the same. Just being an African-American woman playwright on Broadway is experimental.”