My biggest fear is losing memory because memory is what we are. Your very soul and your very reason to be alive is tied up in memory.

I think there's a certain numbness in modern society, that accepts certain kinds of violence, but represses other kinds of violence.

Guns are part of the American psyche, aren't they? This is collateral damage for having a Wild West mentality. It's intrinsic to the American psyche. It's never going to change.

If I'm hanging around too much, my wife and kids say, 'Hey, why don't you go downstairs and start a new novel?'

An artist's duty is rather to stay open-minded and in a state where he can receive information and inspiration. You always have to be ready for that little artistic Epiphany.

I feel very much a part of what I'm writing about, and I'm writing about things that concern me on a daily basis. I'm not really interested in writing musical diaries, if you know what I mean.

I've always been at war with the guitar. All vocalists are fighting a war with the electric rhythm guitar.