Once I turned pro, so to speak, I put away childish things forever.

The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenaline but rather the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity.

Isolation is the indispensable component of human happiness.

One does not play the piano with one's fingers, one plays the piano with one's mind.

There is a craft and a power in listening.

u201Che G-minor Symphony consists of eight remarkable measures surrounded by a half-hour of banality.

Whenever one honestly defies a tradition, one becomes, in reality, the more responsible to it.

The purpose of art is the lifelong construction of a state of wonder.

I detest audiences - not in their individual components, but en masse I detest audiences. I think they're a force of evil. It seems to me rule of mob law.

If an artist wants to use his mind for creative work, cutting oneself off from society is a necessary thing

My moods are inversely related to the clarity of the sky.

Even a lion finds time to relax and look for a good spot.

The Murchisons are honest-to-God-real-foe-rich colored people, and the only people in the world who are more snobbish than rich white people are rich colored people. I though everybody knew that.

The value of secrets is ever fluctuating although ladies who have been in society for a long time learn that a secret kept can be worth more than a secret told.

The invisibility of work and workers in the digital age is as consequential as the rise of the assembly line and, later, the service economy.

I had piano lessons at five and started guitar at ten, but although music and acting was always around me, my parents never pressured me into it.

The tremendous efficiency and economy of the book has once again demonstrated itself. It's the world's most patient medium.

So in his very politically-incorrect way, I think [James Mattis] is a good counterpart to Donald Trump, who doesn't read books.

If something rad is going on and it has to do with film, I want to be there. If it's getting coffee, I don't care. It's a passion of mine.

I am not here concerned with intent, but with scientific standards, especially the ability to tell the difference between a fact, an opinion, a hypothesis, and a hole in the ground.

You're the only one who can decide what's best for you.