There's a long tradition of people from the South living in New York City.

Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world, and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that.

America's criminal justice system isn't known for rehabilitation. I'm not sure that, as a society, we are even interested in that concept anymore.

I don't believe that songwriting has to be profound, but I truly believe that it's a crime for you to go outta your way for it not to be.

I have a low tolerance for mediocrity in music and life. I'm into pain and joy and the in-between doesn't interest me.

Actually, in its purest form, Islam is incredibly tolerant. That makes what's going on in the world really bizarre.

All we do as songwriters is rewrite the songs that have impressed us till we find our own voice. It's part of learning the craft.

You see things differently at 40 than you do at 31. Especially if you got to 40 the way I did.

Every day on Earth is another chance to get it right.

I don't really think in terms of obstacles. My biggest obstacle is always myself.

To me, religion is an agreement between a group of people about what God is. Spirituality is a one-on-one relationship.

A lack of planning leads to failure.

I wrote this book because I had formed a strong impression that the people currently living were paying insufficient attention to the dead.

No matter who you are, big or small, female or man, brave or not brave, you can still be empowered and feel strong.

I want my clients to trust me.

Chess is not only knowledge and logic

It is a very long and very difficult road from a fact to a conclusion. But it is a million times longer from a theory to a fact.

it is all ash and dry leaves and grief gone like an ocean liner.

Life is full of wonderful passions that come and go over the years, but the only one that will never let you down is reading.

Dolls with no little girls around to mind them were sort of creepy under any conditions.

Though it make the unskillful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve.