War is tragedy. The great war stories are tragedies. It's the failure of diplomacy. 'War and Peace,' 'A Farewell to Arms,' 'For Whom the Bell Tolls.' Those are some of the greatest tragedies.

Films have degenerated to their original operation as carnival amusement - they offer not drama but thrills.

The Oscars demonstrate the will of the people to control and judge those they have elected to stand above them (much, perhaps, as in bygone days, an election celebrated the same).

Every scene should be able to answer three questions: "Who wants what from whom? What happens if they don't get it? Why now?"

When the three branches of government have failed to represent the citizenry and the mass of the media has failed to represent the citizenry, then the citizenry better represent the citizenry.

Forget narrative, backstory, characterisation, exposition, all of that. Just make the audience want to know what happens next.

It is the writer’s job to make the play interesting. It is the actor’s job to make the performance truthful.

Opportunity may knock, but it seldom nags.

We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.

People may or may not say what they mean... but they always say something designed to get what they want.

Being a writer in Hollywood is like going to Hitler's Eagle Nest with a great idea for a bar mitzvah.

Life will bring you pain all by itself. Your responsibility is to create joy.

It is necessary to understand your destiny because you were created for a purpose

To grow and know what one is growing towards-that is the source of all strength and confidence in life.

I would just encourage any artist to stay focused, of course keep God first, and just keep working hard. Try to outwork those who you idolize.

Now keep in mind that I'm an artist and I'm sensitive about my sh*t

Be reckless enough to gamble all or nothing to follow your dreams

There is no living with thee, nor without thee.

Our society distributes itself into Barbarians, Philistines and Populace; and America is just ourselves with the Barbarians quite left out, and the Populace nearly.

How can I go out there and create value?

The Smiths was an incredibly personal thing to me. It was like launching your own diary to music.