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" I always wanted to make a show that had everything I wanted to watch, as opposed to just one or two things. "

Courtney A. Kemp

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" The only black folks in town when I was growing up were me and my cousins and one other family. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" Any underrepresented audience loves to see themselves on TV, but what's more important is that we're writing about universal themes - good versus evil, can you change yourself? These themes resonate for everyone. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" I want to tell more stories about lying, dual lives, self-deception - those are my favorites. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" I called my show 'Power' because, for me, the whole series is about the way my main character, Ghost, is power-less over his circumstances, even though he has almost endless access to money and guns. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" I don't want to be seen in a way where all I can do is what people expect of me. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" When I was a little girl, my imagination was what helped me deal with some sort of negative elements in my childhood. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" Knowing what I don't know helps me every day. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" 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. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" God is in control of everything. "

Courtney A. Kemp

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

Courtney A. Kemp

" 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. "

Courtney A. Kemp

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

Courtney A. Kemp

" There's a difference between talent and skill. You might have writing talent, but skill is learned. You have to practice. I remain teachable. I was sure that I didn't know everything. People who work with me will tell you I don't think I know everything. I watch people sink around me thinking that they knew everything. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" Ultimately, at the end of the day, taking a chance on 'Power' is taking a chance on me. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" When human beings say they have power, it always makes me laugh a little bit. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" When we started on 'Power,' I was committed to respecting the differences among Spanish dialects: Dominican, Nuyorican, Mexican, etc. I wanted the language our characters spoke to be as specific as possible, to reflect New York as it is. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" The Shawshank Redemption' isn't a movie about a black guy and a white guy who become friends - it's a movie about freedom. At the end, the cathartic experience of seeing our own emotions reflected back to us, that's the purpose of storytelling. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" 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. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" There's always going to be a part of me that wants an Emmy. Truthfully, I'm probably more motivated by people being entertained. I'm more motivated by people being like, 'Oh snap! Did you see that?' "

Courtney A. Kemp

" The revolution is that we can be anything. We don't have to be one thing or the other. The idea that it is my responsibility to represent only good black people... I mean, what are you talking about? That's not a character - that's a polemic. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" Writers are, for the most part, crazy people. We're like Hephaestus of the forge. We're gnarled. We're curled over. We walk with a limp. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" My experience as a black woman in the industry is simply that often I was the only one in the room. Often I would be the only woman and the only person of color. Sometimes I would be one of several women but the only person of color. Sometimes I would be one of several people of color, but the only woman. "

Courtney A. Kemp

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

Courtney A. Kemp

" 50 and I are extremely close, so all that social media drama? It's just for the show. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" When I watch television, I want to be surprised. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" I think television is about the characters you want to see again, and so you want to invite these people into your home. And certainly, seeing them get into bad situations and then watching them have to get themselves out, that's always super satisfying. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" As a woman, I don't feel like I have a responsibility to create better female characters. I feel like I have a responsibility to create good characters. Because the truth is, those kinds of things ghettoize us even more as writers. "

Courtney A. Kemp

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

Courtney A. Kemp

" I remember watching episodes of 'The Sopranos' and being filled with dread knowing what was coming or anticipating what was coming. I don't think that that's always a bad thing. I think sometimes the audience needs a little catharsis held away from them. "

Courtney A. Kemp

" 'Power' would never have gotten on the air if the folks at Starz weren't saying to themselves, 'This is an underserved audience.' It was a financial decision, not a benevolent decision based on a need to change the industry. "

Courtney A. Kemp