I don't separate writing songs from poetry and short fiction. In the area where I work in my house, there's a word processor and a guitar.

If I can get Me out of the way, I can do anything.

The creative core of New York has never been native New Yorkers; it's people from all over the world.

Maybe I'm not as big a star as Bruce Springsteen because I'm not as good. I don't know. It doesn't matter. I still have an audience of a certain size. I think it's one of the things I'm luckiest.

San Antonio is like a military town. It's like literally - when I was growing up there, there were five Air Force bases, plus Fort Sam Houston. I was always sort of near the military.

My main area of activism is the death penalty, and it will continue to be once this crisis is over with.

I have a low tolerance for mediocrity in music and life. I'm into pain and joy and the in-between doesn't interest me.