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

What saves me from being a drug addict is sort of the opposite. It's me realizing that I don't really control anything.

What's important is you wake up in the morning and something doesn't exist, and when you finish you day's work something is in the world that wasn't there before.

Having a child at 55... that's optimism.

My gift's primarily literary. That being said, I ended up a musician. By the time I made the bluegrass record...I'm more impressed with myself when I push the envelope musically than I am when I push it literality.

New Orleans is a unique environment.

My audience doesn't agree with me on everything, but I love my audience, because they're totally okay with us having a dialogue.