That said, I've never thought the fact that I'm a woman was important to my work.

My intellect has always been more responsible than my emotions for how I respond to the world.

Last year's troubles, They shine up so prettily, They gleam with a lustre they don't have today.

Writing is always personal in some way but not always in a direct way.

It's striking how commercially viable that impulse for instant intimacy is right now, especially in songs and writing.

And I really wanted a driver's license. I was 43, had my learner's permit and had failed the test once already - but that was in Riverhead, on Long Island.

I think that if you have a strong narrative, if the idea of the song can be boiled down to the basics, it won't change that much.