I am one of those people who thrive on deadlines. Nothing brings on inspiration more readily than desperation.

I didn't have a lot of independent film connections. It really took until the digital film revolution came along that I realized that I could do it myself.

Because I don't do stand-up, radio has always been my equivalent, a place to stay in connection with the public and force myself to write every week and come up with new characters. Plus it's a medium that – having grown up with it and putting myself to sleep with a radio under my pillow [as a kid] – I love. No matter what picture you want to create in the listener's mind, a few minutes of work gets it done.

I happened upon a memoir by a midlevel White House staffer, and he had been in the room that [Nixon's last] night [in office]. This guy's memoir told me what Nixon's last words were. And they were, on August 8, 1974, to the crew: "Have a Merry Christmas, fellas!" That was just so bizarre.

I think the British learn their history through the prism of this gallery of grotesques known as the royals.

The Simpsons will end as soon as Fox is able to find an 8 p.m. comedy hit to replace it - so I give us another 50 years.

For a guy who is always banging on about the masculine virtues, Nixon had this remarkable proclivity for very dainty gestures.