I don't think I have written a poem when I was completely sober. But I have written a few good ones or a few bad ones under the hammer of a black hangover when I didn't know whether another drink or a blade would be the best thing.

The wisdom to quit is all we have left.

Food is good for the nerves and the spirit. Courage comes from the belly – all else is desperation.

You can forgive a fool because he only runs in one direction and doesn't deceive anybody. It's the deceivers who make you feel bad.

I was a man who thrived on solitude; without it I was like another man without food or water. Each day without solitude weakened me. I took no pride in my solitude; but I was dependent on it. The darkness of the room was like sunlight to me.

What a weary time those years were -- to have the desire and the need to live but not the ability.

My heart is a thousand years old. I am not like other people.