“And you know what happens when a bomb goes off? The truth about people comes out. Men leave their children and run away. Shopkeepers push aside wives and try to save their cash. People come and loo...”

“What if I've died a long time ago and come here? he wondered. What if the defining characteristic of hell is that you're locked in an endless, blind battle to reform it?”

“The roots of shame run deep.”

“Every child is a packet of disappointments, hurts, dangers.”

“To ask a child to feel sympathy for the poor is harder than getting him to feel sympathy for a chicken or a goatat least you can see a goat being slaughtered.”

“Like men who have failed together, they wanted nothing more than to never see each other again.”

“When I write I like to give equal justice to lyrics, too. I want the song to have meaning for me so I can make it have meaning for the audience.”

“The best way to waste your life is by taking notes. The easiest way to avoid living is to just watch. Look for the details. Report. Don't participate. Let Big Brother do the singing and dancing for...”

“If you have to explain your sense of humor, then you are performing for the wrong crowd.”

“The more you talk about them, the more important they will feel. The more you listen to them, the more important you will make them feel.”

“My mother always says people should be able to take care of themselves, even if they're rich and important.”

“There is no job more important than parenting. This I believe.”