I enjoy writing in a lot of different styles, so I pushed to find that vicious place, or that vulnerable place, and let it exist as intensely as I could.

You need a sanctuary. Somewhere where it doesn't feel like it's being tainted by everybody's opinions and other people's money. I think I'm kind of homesick right now.

I really wanted to focus on my songwriting, or songwriting with other people. I wanted to go learn from other people who were really good at the classic, more traditional idea of songwriting.

There's something really precious in that - if you try to tame something that's meant to be wild you wind up jeopardizing the nature of why it exists.

Smile, the worst is yet to come.

I think, being a male singer, I always hate another great male singer's voice before I can love it, unless it's just really far from what I do.

Everybody's able to pour into each other creatively, and pop into the studio and pop out. It feels like a community. As an artistic community I think it's really cool.

He was just a word for me. I did not see the man in the name any more than you do. Do you see him? Do you see the story? Do you see anything?

You have to appreciate the readers, without them there are no stories worth telling.

There is nothing wrongwith enjoying life’s luxuriesas long as your happinessisn’t contingent on them.

My work is mostly influenced by the concrete circumstances of our daily lives.

No country has ever closely scrutinized itself visually ... I know what we could make of it if people only thought we could dare look at ourselves.

Radicals are only to be feared when you try to suppress them. You must demonstrate that you will use the best of what they offer.

The propensity to play is situated in very ancient regions of the brain. Rats that have had their neocortex removed still engage in normal play.

You don't see something until you have the right metaphor to perceive it.

I am very happy Because I have conquered myself And not the world. I am very happy Because I have loved the world And not myself.

Can the foot soldier teach anything important about war, merely for having been there? I think not. He can tell war stories.