Gossip. The more you talk about why people do things, the more ideas you have about how the world works.

Oh, that sound? I'm in the hot tub, reading a novel.

Many people, myself among them, feel better at the mere sight of a book.

Every first draft is perfect, because all a first draft has to do is exist.

I suspected that there were things he knew that I had been waiting all my life to learn.

In many ways, being honest about 'Huckleberry Finn' goes right to the heart of whether we can be honest about our heritage and our identity as Americans.

Even if my marriage is falling apart and my children are unhappy, there is still a part of me that says, 'God, this is fascinating!'

Take naps. Often new ideas come together when you are half asleep, but you have to train yourself to remember them.

Candy is my fuel. Ice cream, too.

But what truly horsey girls discover in the end is that boyfriends, husbands, children, and careers are the substitute-for horses

In every society, the artists will be the ones who set themselves up as contrary to whatever the society expects.

It's been said before: 'The sleep of reason produces monsters.

Stretched by an idea,    we can aspire to new heights,      new ways of thinking.

Sii la mia schiava d’amore, ” I purr.Her expression is guarded. “What did you say?”An amused smile pulls at my lips. “I’ll never tell.” Somehow, I don’t think she’d agree to be my love slave anyway.

As long as I can say what it is that I need to say, then I'll fit whatever I'm trying to say around a melody.

I never went round to loads of managers saying 'this is what I have, this is my product and I'm going to be famous so you'd better sign me up.' They came to me.

Feeding a baby is like filling a hole with putty - you get it in and then you sort of shave off all the excess around the hole and get it back in, like you're spackling.

I am neither spontaneous nor ready for anything.

It takes the best part of a lifetime to find out what you don't want.

The music industry is an interesting lens through which to look at change, because it has had such a difficult time adjusting to the digital age.