I have scars on my hands from touching certain people...Certain heads, certain colours and textures of human hair leave permanent marks on me. Other things, too. Charlotte once ran away from me, outside the studio, and I grabbed her dress to stop her, to keep her near me. A yellow cotton dress I loved because it was too long for her. I still have a lemon-yellow mark on the palm of my right hand. Oh God, if I'm anything by a clinical name, I'm a kind of paranoiac in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy.

... even the most sublimely accomplished non-stop talker can't consistently please.

I suspect that money is a far greater distraction for the artist than hunger.

I think that one of these days," he said, "you're going to have to find out where you want to go. And then you've got to start going there. But immediately. You can't afford to lose a minute. Not you.

Are all your stars shining?

I thought what I'd do was I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes.

Maybe there's a trapdoor under my chair, and I'll just disappear.