Monica
Monica
R&B recording artist who sang at the 1996 Olympics at age fifteen and sang "Don't Take It Personal" and "Before You Walk Out of My Life."
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionR&B Singer
Date of Birth24 October 1980
CountryUnited States of America
being-yourself years fifty
It is a very wonderful experience indeed, when, at fifty years old, you suddenly discover that for the first time in your life, you are really free to be yourself.
humility doe intimacy
What makes humility so desirable is the marvelous thing it does to us; it creates in us a capacity for the closest possible intimacy with God.
morning four firsts
I have always felt that the moment when first you wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours.
morning lying wake-up
I have always felt that the moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn't, matters not a jot. The possibility is always there.
hands done lasts
She touched his hand for the last time. "Oh, Karim, that we have already done. But always there was a problem between us. How can I explain? I wasn't me, and you weren't you. From the very beginning to the very end, we didn't see things. What we did--we made each other up." p. 382
trying outsiders needs
I was always an outsider, always standing outside, observing and trying to figure things out. Which is exactly what you need to do as a writer, I suppose.
writing escaping boredom
Writing is a deeply immersive experience. When the words are flying, the house could be burgled and I wouldn’t notice. I have a low boredom threshold and I like intensity – writing is a way of escaping the quotidian.
drama book trying
I always try to create conflict and drama in my books; it's the engine of the novel.
children way agendas
I rarely get a moment to myself, but I love the way that my agenda is dictated by the children, not my work.
morning lying wish
I wish I got a lie-in on Saturday mornings but I never do.
eclectic-style taste nina
I'm very eclectic in my music tastes - anything from Nina Simone to Beethoven to Talvin Singh.
jobs giving interviews
Some writers are more natural public performers than others; personally I find it quite strange giving interviews. But everyone has parts of their job that they like more than others. You can't complain if you get to do what you love doing most of the time, can you?
kids writing play
Kids are naturally inventive and curious and creative, but most adults have had that beaten out of them. Writing is a form of play; you have to get rid of all those internal censors that we adults have, the things that say, 'Don't go there, that's not allowed.
children writing holiday
I started writing 'Brick Lane' when my children were two years and five months old. We were on holiday in the north of England when I was overtaken by a compulsion to start writing.