I think it's a fantastic thing to be alive.

In a cement park across the street is this giant sculpture. It is a giant umbrella frame lying on its side. It's green. Stand under it, during a rainstorm, you'll still get wet - that's why it's art.

People are usually pretty hungry after a funeral. I guess it's because we all realize that time is running out and we better eat all we can. Please don't mention that to my mother.

I feel like there's a certain kind of laughter missing in the world.

I don't want to write my life. I live my life. I want to make up a new world.

I want to write stories that don't help you escape life, but embrace life.

There is nothing more depressing than toast that no one eats.

People love conversation, and movies are conversations, and an audience has to participate; it has to fill in some blanks.

I spent so many years trying to become an actor, trying to be a person that I wasn't.

I want to make accessible movies for bright people, but I don't want to play games and be coy.

The bigger the budget, the less an audience is trusted, and that's the difference between a big-budget film and a small-budget film.

There's only one place I want to go and it's to all the places I've never been.

And each book has to receive your best effort every single time. No slacking.

But the loss of any friend takes a long time to heal.

If you have got the public in the palm of your hand, you can be sure that is where they want to be.

Courtney Love is really cool and funny. I would like to meet Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz. I think I could play their daughters.

It was so much fun playing simple American bluegrass. I got to meet Doc Watson.

Don't tell me how hard you work. Tell me how much you get done.

In Seattle you haven't had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it's running.

Try and benefit others, animals, the whole of the earth, as much as you can. And in that space, challenge yourself to find what it is you can bring about through your life's work.

We examine and highlight the history of the African descendants in America, and know that each and every one of us has come this far because of our faith in this country.