I have loved books all my life. There is nothing more beautiful in our material world than the book.

When we got to the part where we had to improvise an argument in a poetic language, I got cold feet. "I can't do this," I said. "I don't know what to say." "Say anything," he said. "You can't make a mistake when you improvise." "What if I mess it up? What if I screw up the rhythm?" "You can't," he said. "It's like drumming. If you miss a beat, you create another." In this simple exchange, Sam taught me the secret of improvisation, one that I have accessed my whole life.

I just know that young people suffer, and I also know music is one of the things that help you get through - music and friends.

I wasn't thinking so much of music. I wasnt thinking so much of perfection or stardom or any of that stuff.

No, my work does not reflect my sexual preferences, it reflects the fact that I feel total freedom as an artist.

I wasn't writing, I wasn't drawing, and personality-wise, I was just completely arrogant. I'm not trying to be overly apologetic for my behavior - I wasn't evil. The lifestyle I had was one that lent itself to becoming more and more self-involved.

Sometimes I get lost in watching a film. The sorrow, or the frustration, is when it doesn't happen for a long time.