Its always been my tendency to lie to doctors, as if good health consisted only of the ability to fool them.

When he was dry, he believed it was alcohol he needed, but when he had a few drinks in him, he knew it was something else, possibly a woman; and when he had it all -- cash, booze, and a wife -- he couldn't be distracted from the great emptiness that was always falling through him and never hit the ground.

There was a part of her she hadn’t yet allowed to be born because it was too beautiful for this place

I really enjoy writing novels. Its like the ocean. You can just build a boat and take off.

After the film it was raining, a light steady rain. Ruthless neon on the wet streets like busted candy.

If you take a lie and allow your desire for the truth, you'll end up with some truth - not fact, but something that gets you closer to the truth. That's what we want. When we go to a play, we need to be assured that the experience we're having.

I think it's silly for anyone to think you could write under the influence, but if they'd like to think that, I'd like to keep the legend alive. Maybe I was under the influence when I wrote Jesus' Son and I just didn't know it.