I left Beijing because I wanted to be alone and to forge my own path, but I know now that no path is solitary, we all tread across other people's beginnings and ends.

Beijing Coma took me 10 years to finish.

Only when you are aware of the uniqueness of everyones individual body will you begin to have a sense of your own self-worth.

When history is erased, people's moral values are also erased.

Everything I was I carry with me, everything I will belies waiting on the road ahead.

I believe that the power of literature is stronger than the power of tyranny.

China is completely lacking in self-awareness and as someone who has stepped outside that society, I have a responsibility to write about it as I see it.

I left Beijing in 1987, shortly before my books were banned there, but have returned continually.

Tyrannies not only want to control your mind and thoughts but your flesh as well.

What we mean by Tao is the way or course of Nature. This way has nothing good or bad, it is a mere flowing of things following the development and decline attributes of the moment.

The literal meaning of the Chinese characters for revolution is elimination of life

We can do more for the peace just by changing our thoughts. Be an example of compassion and kindness like Mother Teresa. We all can do that without harming anyone.

When you're playing a tough guy, all the other guys want to be tough right back at you and it amps them up.

Love trumps hate. Courage loves fear. Right always trumps wrong.

One thing that was very clear to me is that the young people in a place like Annawadi aren't tripping on caste the way their parents are. They know their parents have these old views.

Always write as if you are talking to someone. It works. Don't put on any fancy phrases or accents or things you wouldn't say in real life.

I find it next to impossible to remain politely silent when people prate to me about the glory of being given another chance to live happily ever after!

I have learned to enjoy the ups for what they are, because those are the moments that feel like they go by the quickest.

I like to be scared. I don't like feeling like "Oh, this is going to be a walk in the park". If I ever get to that place, I'll just stop acting.

A development deal is where they're giving you recording time and money to record, but not promising that they'll put an album out.

Good new art may not look like art. Inspiration doesn't follow style, it creates it.