Charisse

“I asked Grandmama why she whupped me on my legs when I was doing quick feet, and not my head or my neck or my back like you would. “Because I don’t want to hurt you,” she said. “I want you to act like you got good sense but I don’t ever want to hurt you.”
― Kiese Laymon, Heavy

“But the problem is you hurting yourself by trying to let folk know they hurt you.”
― Kiese Laymon, Heavy

“And don’t fight when you’re angry. Think when you’re angry. Write when you’re angry. Read when you’re angry.”
― Kiese Laymon, Heavy

“But the biggest lies are often the ones we tell ourselves. I bit my tongue because I did not want to ask questions. I did not ask questions because I did not want to know the answers. It was convenient to believe my husband was trustworthy; sometimes faith is easier than doubt.”
― Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, Stay with Me