“Among the appliances to transform the people, sound and appearances are but trivial influences.”

“Thus, Beauty is neither an appearance nor a being, but a relationship: the transformation of being into appearance”

“Dialogue should simply be a sound among other sounds, just something that comes out of the mouths of people whose eyes tell the story in visual terms.”

“All transformation appears to be motivated by desperation and emergency.”

“America's rich musical heritage reflects the diversity of our people. Among many influences, the cultural traditions brought to this land from Africa more than four centuries ago and the remarkable musical achievements of African Americans since then have strongly and unmistakably improved the sound of American music.”

“Light travels faster than sound. Isn't that why people appear bright before you hear them speak?”

“The turning points of lives are not the great moments. The real crises are often concealed in occurrences so trivial in appearance that they pass unobserved.”

“If you want success, figure out the price, then pay it. It sounds trivial and obvious, but if you unpack the idea it has extraordinary power.”

“When you say too much about anything important, it always ends up sounding more trivial than it is. Words trash it.”

“Poetry is properly speaking a transcendental quality, a sudden transformation in which words assume a particular influence.”