I have written a memoir here and there and that takes its own form of selfishness and courage. However generally speaking I have no interest in writing about my own life or intruding in the privacy of those around me.

I think that the romantic impulse is in all of us and that sometimes we live it for a short time but it's not part of a sensible way of living. It's a heroic path and it generally ends dangerously. I treasure it in the sense that I believe it's a path of great courage. It can also be the path of the foolhardy and the compulsive.

The amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius mental vigor and moral courage it contained. That so few now dare to be eccentric marks the chief danger of the time.

Eccentricity has always abounded when and where strength of character had abounded and the amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius mental vigor and courage which it contained.

The frustrating part of it is that you're generally known for what you did last. I've had the privilege of doing some very cool independent films that a lot of the time the general public doesn't see unless you're at a film festival or you're into that kind of movie.

The cool thing about being a songwriter or a writer I guess in general you can take on a lot of different things experience a lot of different things just by writing about them.

I don't think generally speaking people become writers because they were the really good really cool attractive kid in class. I'll be honest. This is our revenge for people who were much better looking and more popular than us. I was a bit like that I suppose.

As tempting as it seems to wear tennis shoes with your tux don't do it. I think it looks ridiculous. If you're 14 years old maybe give it a shot. In general don't portray anything that says 'I'm too cool and I don't care.'

It's interesting to feel the pressure of having to be outgoing because I think in general as a human being I'm pessimistic and introverted. But it's cool because it's a whole different side of me and I impress myself. Even at times when I think that there's no possible way that I can be engaging I'll suddenly pull it out and impress myself.

So the thing I realized rather gradually - I must say starting about 20 years ago now that we know about computers and things - there's a possibility of a more general basis for rules to describe nature.