Writers have been in terrible situations and have yet managed to produce extraordinary work.

There are things you break that can't be put back together again. And Kashmir may be one of them.

Rock and roll music - the music of freedom frightens people and unleashes all manner of conservative defense mechanisms.

What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.

One of the extraordinary things about human events is that the unthinkable becomes thinkable.

Language is courage: the ability to conceive a thought, to speak it, and by doing so to make it true.

‘Respect for religion’ has become a code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion.’ Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect.

In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips.

Language upon a silvered tongue affords enchantment enough.

The whole story of migration and what that has done in interconnecting the planet is obviously something I've written about a lot.

faith without doubt is addiction

I'm going to paraphrase Thoreau here... rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness... give me truth.

Writing in English is like throwing mud at a wall.

You have to be excited about your life.

All love begins with the love within.

I like being full of mystery and wonder, people always know im up to something but never know exactly what.

Capitalism is about turning luxuries into necessities.

Recognise excellence. Celebrate weirdness and innovation. Oddballs should be cherished, if they can do something other people can't do.

What was more brutal than loss of hope?

... together we can build the people's Church, a true Church. Not just a hierarchy, or a building, but a real change inside people.

It is progress when weapons are improved to kill more people at a longer range.