Quotes from Courtney A. Kemp

If you look at the back pages of 'New York Times Magazine,' and they talk about these 6.5-million-dollar condos with a great view, like you're going to pay for a great view. Well, the top floor of the projects have a great view, too.

Every writer should be able to write anything if you do the research and you're sensitive enough to ask the questions.

I think women judge other women more harshly, always, which is a shame.

The impetus for 'Power' was me writing about my dad, who was an advertising executive and very interested in image. He thought that perception was reality and what people thought of you was what was real about you.

There's this idea that you can have it all, but in my opinion, you can't - not if you're a perfectionist.

I really do love male characters, in some ways, for the fact that they get surprised when they're vulnerable. Women are more surprised by their strength.

The show runner's the boss until the network shows up. And then they're the boss, because it's their money.

If everyone knows the role they play, and they do their job - executing it well and with enthusiasm - it comes together successfully every time.

If you wanna be your own boss, you gotta work your way up - have the skills.

50 Cent is a brilliant marketer.

I'd say it's far more challenging to be female and be a showrunner. People are not surprised to see a black person running this show, but the female aspect is the thing that I get asked about.

When I watch television, I want to be surprised.

When I was pitching 'Power,' I had an executive say, 'Well, I already have a black show.' He said that right to my face.

I really try to plot in a fearless fashion. I try not to care about not knowing the answer before I get there; I just jump in first and see what happens.

I don't write scenes where one person is right and one person is wrong. It's very much by design that everyone has a point of view that you as an audience member can understand.

It... does... not... have... to... be... pointed out all the time. Like, 'Isn't it great that you're black, and you're a woman?' Isn't it great that the show's good? I would just love for it not to be a thing - for it just to be, like, super norm.

Comedians are on the road so much that when they're just getting to act and sit in one place, they're really grateful and just ready.

It's ridiculous that we let broadcast and cable shows compete against each other at the Emmys. They are not the same animal.

New York is the center of the world. I grew up in Connecticut, outside of the city, and my father commuted to the city for work.

I had to figure out that finding my place was not about race but about creativity, and connecting with other artists helped me find my voice.

I always like to write myself into a corner. I think the best stuff comes from only having a few ways out.

I had very much wanted to be the very first black female editor-in-chief of 'Vogue.' Barring that, I wanted to work at 'Entertainment Weekly.'

I worked at 'Mademoiselle,' and then it shut, and I worked at 'GQ' for three years, during which I was freelancing. I wrote for 'Vibe.' I did music reviews. I wrote for 'Time Out.' I was desperate to get into 'Entertainment Weekly' or 'New York Magazine.' Like, desperate.

In 2011, when my father passed away - I had my daughter first; I had her on January 24, and I had a seizure during the delivery. I lived through that, and five weeks later, my father died suddenly of a heart attack, and I lived through that. And then my daughter had surgery, and I lived through that.