There's no wrong way to meditate. And meditation should never be a difficult practice that leads to self criticism.

I see 'Ahab's Wife' as offering an alternative vision to

When I was growing up, I fetishised New York City. It was the land of Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, it was where Leonard Cohen wrote 'Chelsea Hotel', it was CBGBs and all the punk rock clubs. Artists and musicians lived there, and it was cheap and dangerous.

My main interest is just to work with people who have beautiful, interesting, emotive voices; I'm not too concerned whether someone is famous.

In the long, nonillustrious history of white people pilfering African American culture, have I just perpetrated that? I'm motivated by a love for the music and by a love of the performances, and I really hope I haven't done anything bad.

Most artists, you know, you spend their entire lives learning how to play music and write songs, and they don't really know how the music business works.

David Lynch is my friend, and I love his movies and his art and his music. Few things make me happier than working with him.