But once you publish a book, doesn’t it by definition become the realm of public discourse? Otherwise, wouldn’t we just write books and print them out ourselves, and give them to specific people we felt comfortable giving them to–like gifts? Isn’t publishing sort of a social contract?

I know I've lost my mind. But I'm not concerned, because it's the first thing I've lost in a long time that actually feels good.

I'll never stop caring. But the thing about caring is, it's inconvenient. Sometimes you've got to give when it makes no sense to at all. Sometimes you've got to give until it hurts.

I discovered John Fante when I was 17 years old - strangely, not through Charles Bukowski, but through William Saroyan, who was his drinking buddy.

As a result of manifest destiny, we gutted our resources.

My neediness is not a hole to be filled but something beneath the skin scratching to get out.

The jocks that used to stuff me into a locker when I was a punk rocker are my best buddies now.