Osbert was the only one who didn't seem suspicious. He was so interested in the Decline of Western Civilization that he missed the version of it taking place under his nose.

Perhaps the way to succeed is to think of life on Earth as a colossal joke, a creation of such immense stupidity that the only way to live is to laugh until you think your heart will break.

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

The imagination can be dangerous. It can change the world. And that is why we write.

Self-knowledge is essential not only to writing, but to doing almost anything really well. It allows you to work through from a deep place - from the deep, dark corners of your subconscious mind.

This was what happiness felt like - this wondrous, miraculous alternative to dread.

While working in advertising, I channelled my creative energy into elaborate escape fantasies: cake making, dog breeding, the Peace Corps.

Things Happen and once they start happening you pretty much just to hold on for dear life and see where they drop you when they stop.

If you haven't been in a war and are wondering how long it takes to get used to losing everything you think you need or love, I can tell you the answer is no time at all.

The soldier had stamped my passport FAMILY in heavy black capital letters and I checked it now for reassurance and because I liked how fierce the word looked

Ask any comedian, tennis player, chef. Timing is everything.

profanity and obscenity entitle people who don't want unpleasant information to close their ears and eyes to you.

One of the great things about being in a band is that you meet so many other musicians who will turn you on to stuff you would never have otherwise found out about.

The art of living is to know when to hold fast and when to let go.

Life is about growth. People are not perfect when they're 21 years old.

Food decisions - do I eat this or not? - are always going to be there.

BECAUSE SELF IS NO LONGER OUR GOD, SAFETY IS NO LONGER OUR CONCERN.

So we drove on toward death through the cooling twilight.

The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical encore.

What I like about gluttony, a bishop I knew used to say, is that it doesnt hurt anyone else.

Literature should not be suppressed merely because it offends the moral code of the censor.