I was the first person in my family born in the United States. My mom is from Croatia, and my dad is from Iran. They met at music school in Belgium. I grew up as a pianist.

I love art because I feel that it's evidence of the great shared universal power. I like art that feels real, that cuts the bullshit.

I've always really enjoyed sharing my work with others. I find it really hard if I don't think the work will exist outside of my own apartment.

If you look at the horror genre, that work is all about making people uncomfortable by stimulating our fear of death.

You can't be a free spirit in a place that feels like it was built on lockdown.

For me writing isn't a mental exercise, it's barely even a literary exercise, it feels like a spiritual experience.

I hope that I'm the kind of person who would step in between somebody holding a gun at somebody else. I would like to be that stupid. I'd like to be that in love with life.

I don't like talking too much about my personal life, but it all goes into my work.

I had to brainwash myself, like what I was doing was going to be really, really good, and then just accept whatever happened.

I was really interested in piano and sort of discovered that I was a writer when I was about 13 and started writing. And it was my secret thing and my passion.

Anyway, I don't trust those people who poke around sad people's minds and tell them how interesting it all is up there. It's not interesting.

No white man uses his feet the way an Indian does. He talks to the earth.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well-trained, well-equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely

A significant portion of the earth's population will soon recognize, if they haven't already done so, that humanity is now faced with a stark choice: Evolve or die.

All lies, white or black, disgrace a gentleman, although I grant there is a difference: to say the least of it, it is a dangerous habit, for white lies are but the gentleman ushers to black ones.

Honestly, I can't understand English poetry. Because I am not an English speaker, when I read it I never know how to read it in the right rhythm.

A mind that is afraid withers away; it cannot function properly.

I am proud to be a conservative ... but I am also proud throughout my life to have attracted the support and the love and affection of people from all over America and all parts of it.

It is when we are in misery that we revere the gods; the prosperous seldom approach the altar.

For as saith a proverb notable, Each thing seeketh his semblable.

Evil is unspectacular and always human, and shares our bed and eats at our own table.