I don't want to live in a culture of despair. I'd like to live in a culture of hope.

I've never sold my publishing. I have 100% control of all of my publishing and that includes everything, every use of my songs.

I feel we all have the obligation, myself. I want to live in a more humane, civilized society, and I feel like the only way we're going to achieve that is if we all take it upon ourselves. I just wish we could be a more caring society. I feel like we're social Darwinists who believe that everyone has to make it on their own. But the reality is that we all don't start out on the same footing.

It's funny, I remember doing the Johnny Carson show, and, uh, I couldn't afford my rent.

There is one tradition in America I am proud to inherit. It is our first freedom and the truest expression of our Americanism: the ability to dissent without fear. It is our right to utter the words, 'I disagree.' We must feel at liberty to speak those words to our neighbors, our clergy, our educators, our news media, our lawmakers and, above all, to the one among us we elect - President.

Literature gives us a window into other people's experiences in other places, in other times, so I thought it would be really interesting to investigate how different people had written about motherhood, and childhood.

I can't remove the autobiographical slant from the things I write. You always bring yourself into what you're writing.