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

Some of us are born rebellious. Like Jean Genet or Arthur Rimbaud, I roam these mean streets like a villain, a vagabond, an outcast, scavenging for the scraps that may perchance plummet off humanity's dirty plates, though often sometimes taking a cab to a restaurant is more convenient.

He found it was as easy to hurl beauty as anything else. (On Robert Mapplethorpe)

Sometimes [people] seem to think I came out of the womb, you know, cursing, with an electric guitar.

Within that moment was trust, compassion, and our mutual sense of irony. He was carrying death within him and I was carrying life. We were both aware of that, I know.

Steven [Sebring] was documenting me as a widow with two children, going from 50 to 60 years old. My focus, during that time, was to rediscover myself, stay healthy, take care of my kids and reestablish a relationship with the people.

You can't work on that scale without trust. I learned that from working with Robert Mapplethorpe.