I'm always captivated by stories of women who find a way to be daring - misbehaving women.

Gender and race got very entwined in the 19th century, as abolition broke out, and then women wanted the right to speak about it.

In the early 1800s, religion was often used as a way to keep slavery in place. Slaves were forced to attend the church of their owners, listen to selective dogma that kept them obedient and subservient.

When I wrote 'The Secret Life of Bees,' I was writing about civil rights.

All creatures are united to God alone in an immediate union. They depend essentially and directly upon Him. Being all alike equally impotent, they cannot be in reciprocal dependence upon one another.

I regret any comments I have ever made which may have cast any doubt on the personal faith of our president, Mr. Obama.

When you really see how much God loves you, there's no greater love than that, and I had to match that amount of love He had for me, which is the reason why I decided to take a vow of celibacy.

It's disheartening to write goals from year to year, looking back only to see you are in the same place. You can make so many promises that you get sick of yourself, but what is it that God can't do?