But I never want to get to the point where I write a safe song or one that represents my sense of a subject in order to appear civilized.

I still feel conflicted because I don't always get to spend as much time with my daughter as I'd like, given my work.

I dont think gender is aesthetically defining for me.

It takes as much discipline to be a mother and a wife as it does to do anything else.

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 like to write about things that are extreme in some form. I like to write about something I feel I have to write about.

I loved the atmosphere of the dance studios - the wooden floors, the big mirrors, everyone dressed in pink or black tights, the musicians accompanying us - and the feeling of ritual the classes had.