Literature is the one place in any society where, within the secrecy of our own heads, we can hear voices talking about everything in every possible way.

There are things you break that can't be put back together again. And Kashmir may be one of them.

Rock and roll music - the music of freedom frightens people and unleashes all manner of conservative defense mechanisms.

What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.

One of the extraordinary things about human events is that the unthinkable becomes thinkable.

Language is courage: the ability to conceive a thought, to speak it, and by doing so to make it true.

‘Respect for religion’ has become a code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion.’ Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect.

In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips.

Language upon a silvered tongue affords enchantment enough.

The whole story of migration and what that has done in interconnecting the planet is obviously something I've written about a lot.

faith without doubt is addiction

Love, like Fortune, favours the bold.

Art that submits to orthodoxy, to even the soundest doctrines, but lacks imagination and deep self-expression is lost leaving only the craftsmanship.

Golf is hugely important, as it keeps me going.

It's hard to find success and it's hard to find hit movies or hit TV shows and to stay relevant. I think it's a very difficult thing for actors, because a lot of us get lost, frankly.

Put a little love in your heart, and the world will be a better place.

God, I'm just a fat bald guy, 60 years old, singing the blues, you know?

I have never learned anything except from people younger than myself.

There's a lot more to being a woman than being a mother, but there's a hell of a lot more to being a mother than most people suspect.

I guess my mantra is you have to work really hard if you want something. You have to be committed to hard work and persistence even when it gets tough.

Be kind to yourself this evening. Buy something for yourself. Treat yourself to a meal. Look in the mirror and give yourself a smile