I was convinced that I would be, that I was already, one in a million.

I was too much of an extremist to be able to live under the eye of God and at the same time say both yes and no to life

It was easier for me to think of a world without a creator than of a creator burdened with all the contradictions in the world.

If I were to share Jaques' existence I would find it hard to hold my own against him, for already I found his nihilism contagious.

The facts of religion were convincing only to those who were already convinced.

All those minds that are interested in finding out the truth communicate with each other across the distances of space and time. I, too, was taking part in the effort which humanity makes to know.

I had to call the past to life, and illuminate every corner of the five continents, descend to the centre of the earth and make the circuit of the moon and stars

Why shouldn't a mystical theology be possible? 'I want to touch God or become God, ' I declared in my journal. All through that year I abandoned myself intermittently to these deliriums.

God has taken you from something in order to you to something.

I'm just glad I was able to return to some of that innocence and beauty I had as a child when I started my own family, and my children brought me back some of that spirit.

I want a society free of human trafficking

The press secretary who starts to narrow down or close the president's options because he answers delicate negotiating questions no longer serves the president.

Over my 24 years in the Senate, Jim, I've never voted against anyone because of their substantive views.

In fact, street gangs are the primary distributor of illegal drugs in the United States.

If I'm collaborating with an artist I like to give them my point of view and if they don't want to take any of my recommendations it's fine, but it's hard otherwise.

Creative output, you know, is just pain. I'm going to be cliché for a minute and say that great art comes from pain.

Smiling in Heaven isn't required - it's inevitable.

Never let go of the people that you love, because without them, what else have you got?