The landscape of childhood shapes us as it shapes the characters in our stories. You never forget the sacred places of your childhood.

I grew up in a house without many books. The books the nuns made us read in school didn't interest me.

In revision, your imagination becomes deeply engaged with your material. It's when you come to know your characters and begin to perceive their motivations and values.

A pure love is a selfless love, but can desire ever be selfless?

Drug programs began to turn their attention and money away from prevention and into maintenance. Methadone was cheaper than social workers, I suppose.

A lack of narrative structure, as you know, will cause anxiety.

You lose a wallet or keys or something and you notice in a second, but your life can go missing and you don't even know it.

Every act of loving affirms the goodness of the lover just because he is capable of loving and being loved.

Love is always a surprise and you never get it right.

The purpose of the first draft is not to get it right, but to get it written.

I was reading for understanding. I wanted to do to a reader what Salinger did for me.

You can create any product from time

There go my people. I must find out where they are going so I can lead them.

When everything flows into place ? washes dry tonally correct, crisp and sparkling, the light scheme is sound and the "accidentals" are all happy ones ? I'm temporarily in a euphoric state.

We're both cat lovers [with Marilyn Manson].

I feel like there's no subject that can't be sung about. I wrote a song dedicated to people with inflammatory bowel disease, and then I wrote about shoes. And mangoes. Every rock should be turned.

Polo really is a European sport. It's not really that popular in America. I'm not an expert on the sport, but it's fun to watch.

I'll be your crying shoulder, I'll be love's suicide, I'll be better when I'm older, I'll be the greatest fan of your life.

There is always one true inner voice. Trust it.

If I want to keep working as an actor, I'm going to become a comedian who does fart jokes.

What I always try to do is make the political personal.