People say I'm such a pessimist, but I always was. It never stopped me from doing what I had to do. I would say I'm a realist.

You may not know it, but at the far end of despair, there is a white clearing where one is almost happy.

The only thing that's been a worse flop than the organization of nonviolence has been the organization of violence.

I was addicted to rhythm 'n' blues pretty much directly into folk music. I had my little 45s of mostly black artists. That was as close as I got. I've never listened to heavy rock or stuff that jangles my nerves, because I'm already jangled.

I think the question that nobody wanted to deal with is the question they're posing: did my kid die in vain? Because the answer is too awful.

Living so fully, I can't imagine what any drug could do for me.

Sometimes I get lonesome for a storm. A full blown storm where everything changes. The sky goes through four days in an hour, the trees wail, little animals skitter in the mud and everything gets dark and goes completely wild. But it is really God - playing music in his favourite cathedral in heaven - shattering stained glass - playing a gigantic organ - thundering on the keys - perfect harmony - perfect joy.