But I now entered on my fifteenth year - a sad epoch in the life of a slave girl. My master began to whisper foul words in my ear. Young as I was I could not remain ignorant of their import.

I'm incredibly sad that my mother's not here to see my kids and that my kids don't get to know her. And she didn't meet my husband. That's one of the hardest things. I don't even know how to put that into words.

For all sad words of tongue and pen The saddest are these 'It might have been'.

You do your work as a photographer and everything becomes past. Words are more like thoughts the photographer's picture is always surrounded by a kind of romantic glamor - no matter what you do and how you twist it.

When I start to write words have become physical presence. It was to see if I could bring that private world to life that found its first expression through reading. I really dislike the romantic notion of the artist.

No but I've always felt that with true talent and a commitment to hard work it is possible to achieve an enduring respect and appreciation. In other words I don't take my fans for granted.

I work on words quite separately to music. They're both ongoing and I don't ever feel like I'm working in a cycle in that respect because it's every day anyway no matter what I'm doing. Then I get to a point when I've collected together enough words that seem like they want to be songs rather than poems or sometimes not.

I don't think socialism and I don't think warmness and respect are necessarily bad words.

Religion and philosophy philosophy and religion - they're two words which are both... different. In spelling.

Personally I don't choose any particular religion or symbol or group of words or teachings to define me. That's between me and the most high. You know my higher self. The Creator.