"And, I mean, I think poetry does need to be met to some extent, especially, I guess, 19th century poetry, and for me, it's just been so worth the effort. It's like I'm planting a garden in my head."

"Tragedy makes you grow up."

"As for how criticism of Keats' poetry relates to criticism of my own work, I'll leave that for others to decide."

"My musical knowledge is so bad it's embarrassing. When composers discuss music with someone as primitive as myself, they have to talk about it in terms of senses and emotion, rather than keys and tempo."

"I think it's important to get your surroundings as well as yourself into a positive state - meaning surround yourself with positive people, not the kind who are negative and jealous of everything you do."

"The pursuit of excellence requires knowing that the mind is a garden where thoughts are the seeds."

"He who understands his own mind is never bewildered by the complexities of the world. Remember this in moments of decisive trial."

"Remember happiness doesn't depend upon who you are or what you have it depends solely on what you think."