Shun security, I advise aspiring novelists when they complain to me that they are stuck. Get disoriented. Maybe your agonizing writing block isnt agonizing enough. Your enemy is comfort.

Expecting to be wrong about most things most of the time brings, finally, the kind of humility that leads to peace. I think.

Las Vegas is the expression, in glitter and concrete, of Americas brittle and mutating id.

It is quite amazing how hard the subconscious works when it is made to understand that this life is not a rehearsal, there is no safety net and no assurance of any final closure. It is also quite appalling to realize how catatonic the imagination can become when we hedge our bets, opt for the safer direction at every fork in the path.

To a Buddhist, contradictions only exist in a mind that has been forced to cultivate them.

When you notice light seeping into your coffin, it's hard to go on pretending that you're still dead.

Your fear of letting go prevents you from letting go of your fear of letting go.