My father always taught by telling stories about his experiences. His lessons were about morality and art and what insects and birds and human beings had in common. He told me what it meant to be a man and to be a Black man. He taught me about love and responsibility about beauty and how to make gumbo.

But when I was twelve years old I caught my first strong glimpse of one of the fundamental forces of existence whose votary I was destined to be for life - namely Beauty.

My wife has brought great beauty into my life. And my daughter has brought me nothing but joy. Those qualities were greatly lacking.

Taught from infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre the mind shapes itself to the body and roaming round its gilt cage only seeks to adorn its prison.

The beauty of the world which is so soon to perish has two edges one of laughter one of anguish cutting the heart asunder.

If you get simple beauty and naught else you get about the best thing God invents.

Tommie Aaron taught me how to have a good attitude to be easy going and not get uptight.

Mainly what I learned from Buddy... was an attitude. He loved music and he taught me that it shouldn't have any barriers to it.

The attitude of insolent haughtiness is characteristic of the relationships Americans form with what is alien to them with others.

Black literature is taught as sociology as tolerance not as a serious rigorous art form.

I have never denied my background or my culture. I have taught my child to embrace her Mexican heritage to love my first language Spanish to learn about Mexican history music folk art food and even the Mexican candy I grew up with.

The only honest art form is laughter comedy. You can't fake it... try to fake three laughs in an hour - ha ha ha ha ha - they'll take you away man. You can't.

It is Homer who has chiefly taught other poets the art of telling lies skillfully.

Homer has taught all other poets the art of telling lies skillfully.

Art is the daughter of freedom.

Light God's eldest daughter is a principal beauty in a building.

I think anger and laughter are very close to each other when you think about it.

Something my mum taught me years and years and years ago is life's just too short to carry around a great bucket-load of anger and resentment and bitterness and hatreds and all that sort of stuff.

We're taught to be ashamed of confusion anger fear and sadness and to me they're of equal value to happiness excitement and inspiration.

What I needed most was to love and to be loved eager to be caught. Happily I wrapped those painful bonds around me and sure enough I would be lashed with the red-hot pokers or jealousy by suspicions and fear by burst of anger and quarrels.

Holding on to anger resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life.

It is impossible for you to be angry and laugh at the same time. Anger and laughter are mutually exclusive and you have the power to choose either.

John was the smartest and most amazing comedian I've ever worked with. I think more than teaching me about acting or comedy he taught me about life and the love of people and respect of people.

It's amazing. I can't believe how brilliant the whole thing is - my daughter Georgia is just wonderful.