There are certainly people for whom politics is not a category that helps you understand human existence. In fact, it's kind of a detour into superficiality, and although I disagree with those people, I don't think it's the case that everyone who writes has to write politically or has to write in opposition to the really horrendous things that are going on on a political level in the world today. There are some writers who simply aren't any good at that and really should stay away from it.

You learn that existence is legible but that you have to have a critical mind if you're going to read it.

You'll find, my friend, that what you love will take you places you never dreamed you'd go.

Respect the delicate ecology of your delusions.

I'm not an experimental artist. I have no talent for that. I need a certain kind of antecedent form to follow.

The white cracker who wrote the National Anthem knew what he was doing. He set the word "free" to a note so high nobody could reach it. That was deliberate.

I grew up in a small Southern town, and there were white people and black people. Coming to New York to go to Columbia, every time I went into the subway I was absolutely astounded because you see people from all over the world who actually live here - who aren't just here as tourists.