In the experience of art, time seems not to exist. When I'm writing and think, "I've been working for two hours," I've actually been working for seven.

There are things you break that can't be put back together again. And Kashmir may be one of them.

Rock and roll music - the music of freedom frightens people and unleashes all manner of conservative defense mechanisms.

What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.

One of the extraordinary things about human events is that the unthinkable becomes thinkable.

Language is courage: the ability to conceive a thought, to speak it, and by doing so to make it true.

‘Respect for religion’ has become a code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion.’ Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect.

In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips.

Language upon a silvered tongue affords enchantment enough.

The whole story of migration and what that has done in interconnecting the planet is obviously something I've written about a lot.

faith without doubt is addiction

I've seen the majestic beauty of nature and the overwhelming perfection of it. To me, there's nothing closer to God than that.

It is very doubtful whether man is enough of a political animal to produce a good, sensible, serious and efficient constitution. All the evidence is against it.

I have three dads: my biological father, God and Bob Dylan.

I'm going to show you all how easy it is to manipulate the human mind once you know how.

envy and hatred fascinate the eyes and never make them see things as they are.

Such is professional jealousy; a scientist will never show any kindness for a theory which he did not start himself.

I think it's an important time not to Google myself.

I have been a film buff all my life and believe that the finest cinema is fully the equal of the best novels.

I've come to learn that there is a real difference between men and women. It's genetic.

When you're in a place, the details you focus on are different than details you focus on when you're writing about it.