There were class differences among black people then and there are class differences among black people now. There is still an assumption among many …

- Ayana Mathis

Half of what's wrong with people today is that they ain't got no place to go that makes them peaceful.

- Ayana Mathis

Racial terrorism affects the lives of white people and black people and everyone, everything. Racism is contaminating. It can affect the dogs in the …

- Ayana Mathis

The critics and the reviewers are more frightening than anything else!

- Ayana Mathis

Voice isn't fixed or unmalleable, it adapts to the characters you are creating and the story being told. I suppose in some way that's true in life - …

- Ayana Mathis

You have to find a way of shutting the future out and focusing on the writing. One of the problems I'll have with writing my second book is getting b…

- Ayana Mathis

If there had never been the Great Migration there would never have been jazz, there would never have been Michelle Obama. A lot of amazing black peop…

- Ayana Mathis

I think that if you just write your characters you end up with something that people can access.

- Ayana Mathis

Even if you don't feel like sitting down to write or working on that big proposal, or whatever it is, just show up anyhow and the rest will follow.

- Ayana Mathis