I'm constantly warning people that are involved in my life that I can go busk and make a living. I can make my rent in New York City in the subway, I promise, if I'm forced to.

I don't think I'm a political songwriter as much as I am just a political person. I think it's in my fabric.

Every leap forward that I make is by reaching back and firmly getting a footing in the past, and pushing forward as hard as I can.

People hate good books to be over. I wish I could write a 700-page book.

From the moment [Bob] Dylan arrived as a songwriter, he was [so] much better than everybody else around.

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.

I'm not a Democrat; I'm something well to the left of a Democrat, but I'm just realistic about the system.