I'm finishing my Ph.D. in Italian Renaissance history.

It's not good to meet you heroes. The humanity in them or the a**hole in them will bring it down. And you don't want to do that.

If you've got kids you know you've only got one prayer: "Let my kids outlive me." That's the bottom of everything.

I rarely do autograph shows. Maybe two or three a year. Just to keep my price up. Also I've got too much other stuff to do. I have to teach Renaissance art.

I play in a jazz sextet. So I don't have time to do a lot of conventions. The good thing is, when I do them, it does puts me back in touch with the people who go to movies. I do these shows just to stay in touch with them.

Art has absolutely changed my life.

I went to North Texas State, one of the great jazz schools. When I realized I wasn't going to be Miles Davis, I switched my major to English and theater.