"In the process of telling the truth about what you feel or what you see, each of us has to get in touch with himself or herself in a really deep, serious way."

"To tell the truth is to become beautiful, to begin to love yourself, value yourself. And that's political, in its most profound way."

"Poetry is a political act because it involves telling the truth."

"I wrote those poems for myself, as a way of being a soldier here in this country. I didn't know the poems would travel. I didn't go to Lebanon until two years ago, but people told me that many Arabs had memorized these poems and translated them into Arabic."

"One's life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation and compassion."

"Value your friendship. Value your relationships."

"I'm not interested in dating. I like being with my own best friend, me. Certain women, particularly older women, cannot believe I like going to a social event by myself. But I do."

"A friend should be one in whose understanding and virtue we can equally confide, and whose opinion we can value at once for its justness and its sincerity."