I always had a knack for improvisation. I can write down the notes I play, but never really had a proper academic musical background. I suppose I'm blessed and cursed by the fact I have that freedom.

My philosophy is: It's none of my business what people say of me and think of me. I am what I am, and I do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. And it makes life so much easier.

We are dying from overthinking. We are slowly killing ourselves by thinking about everything. Think. Think. Think. You can never trust the human mind anyway. It's a death trap.

Life's too short to deal with other people's insecurities.

No expectations. Ask nothing, expect nothing and accept everything, and life is very well.

A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

I don't believe in nepotism. I don't much like the idea of parents who interfere.

Relish everything that's inside of you, the imperfections, the darkness, the richness and light and everything. And that makes for a full life.

The whole point of courage, to overcome your fear. That's the interesting thing, when courage bleeds through the fear.

I always liked to take the plunge, you know, I'd jump in at the deep end and hope that I'd find land somehow, or hope I'd float or survive. That's more or less the way I've gone through my life.

You're not more than one generation from poor white trash, are you, Agent Starling?

In truth, to attain to interior peace, one must be willing to pass through the contrary to peace.

A writer of fiction is really... a congenital liar who invents from his own knowledge or that of other men.

All things radiate forth an intense aliveness.

Poached eggs are good, poached animals are not.

America is the only nation in history which miraculously has gone directly from barbarism to degeneration without the usual interval of civilization.

I don't get nearly enough credit in life for the things I manage not to say.

Somehow our devils are never quite what we expect when we meet them face to face.

Passionate, organized hatred is the element missing in all that we do to try to change the world. Now is the time to spread hate, hatred for the rich.

Life is really beautiful.

Miseram pacem vel bello bene mutari. Even war is preferable to a shameful peace.