"How do I let go of Maplewood? It's like Shangri-la. It's so culturally diverse, and all my children are adopted - a transracial family. And we're not the freaks. Everybody flies their freak flag high in Maplewood!"

"I began my career performing in plays and musicals in New York, but by the mid-'80s, opportunities in Hollywood beckoned and I made the move to Los Angeles. It was a good decision. Work took off, but most important, I met my family out there - my husband, Bill, and the children we would adopt: Elijah, Mae-Mae, and Aron."

"You can still love your job and feel guilty. You can still love your child and feel guilty. There's a lot of grey in that. It's about being conscious when you are spending time with your kids, being with them in the moment."

"I don't wear jeans."

"I was born on a farm. My strength has nothing to do with political apparatus. I get my strength from nature, from flowers."

"The desire for liberty has also made itself felt as struggle against domestic tyranny or arbitrary rule."

"Strength lies not in defence but in attack."

"It is astonishing what force, purity, and wisdom it requires for a human being to keep clear of falsehoods."