The whole fame and fortune thing is addictive.

Even now I can't stand being recognized in the street. I just hate it when strangers come up and try to talk to me. I'm pathologically shy.

I couldn't make sense of things. But then I began the process of civilising myself and trying to become a decent human being. I'm still working on it.

I was racing through life, utterly confused and angry. I don't know if I was out of control; it was more like I felt frustrated with myself and everything I saw happening around me.

I've had a blessed career, and that has been acknowledged in many ways over the years.

I've gradually grown more comfortable with who I am and what I am.

I went from being totally unknown to getting stopped every time I went out. I always wanted to be successful, but I have never wanted to become a celebrity. I never, ever, craved that.

If you think before you speak the other guy gets his joke in first.

I find it very hard to play a part, then take it off like a cheap suit and become Mr Normal - Mr. Nice Guy.

The older I've got, the easier I've found it to accept myself. I think I've finally learnt not to beat myself up so much.

You can't force someone to learn. You present these beautiful lines that have so much to do with the world today and let them fall where they will.

With amazement and disappointment, we discovered in late October and early November that the beaten Russians seemed quite unaware that as a military force they had almost ceased to exist.

My culture-deprived, aspirational mother dragged me once a month from our northern suburb - where the word art never came up - to the Art Institute of Chicago. I hated it.

There's another advantage to being poor - a doctor will cure you faster.

I figured if the plane goes down, I'll go with a great genius and will always have my name connected with his.

Man has always been half-monster, half-dreamer.

You know, I get a lot of people pitching songs to me.

A man may be theologically knowing and spiritually ignorant.

Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and father of the University of Virginia.

Dog’ is ‘God’ spelled backward; you know that. That’s why you’re here, to help the nuns do God’s work.