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You almost have to create situations in order to write about them, so I live in a constant state of self-imposed poverty. I don't want to live any other way.

The burden of poverty isn't just that you don't always have the things you need, it's the feeling of being embarrassed every day of your life, and you'd do anything to lift that burden.

You are going to let the fear of poverty govern you life and your reward will be that you will eat, but you will not live.

If you're raised with a poverty mentality, nothing is going to change it. I do know some really stingy billionaires. I come from such a generation of hand-to-mouthers.

Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it makes some virtues impracticable, and others extremely difficult.

What you don't want to do - if you're concerned about poverty, if you're concerned about providing opportunity - you don't want to rip the bottom rung of the ladder of opportunity away from people.

I can't eradicate poverty, but at least for the people around me, I can help make sure no child is denied a dream.

There's a lot of freedom in having nothing. You don't have responsibility. You have nobody to answer to. But I'd rather deal without the poverty.