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

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

My mission is to communicate, to wake people up, just to give them my energy and accept theirs.

My father was a dreamy fellow - he read Plato and Socrates and watched Phillies games.

I knew if I lived long enough I would be poet laureate of something.

I don't care whether they're men or women, that's bullshit. A good writer can get into any gender, can get into any mouth. When I write I may be a Brando creep, or a girl laying on the floor, or a Japanese tourist, or a slob like Richard Speck. You have to be a chameleon when you're writing.

I like my time on earth. And no matter what kind of cards I've been dealt, I'm happy to be there.