“Without acquainting me with the language or the literature or the oral family histories which my ancestors had loved, they volunteered to make me ignorant and rootless as proof of their patriotism.”

“Music is, to me, proof of the existence of God. It is so extraordinarily full of magic, and in tough times of my life I can listen to music and it makes such a difference.”

“If somebody says 'I love you' to me, I feel as though I had a pistol pointed at my head. What can anybody reply under such conditions but that which the pistol holder requires? 'I love you, too'.”

“I think it can be tremendously refreshing if a creator of literature has something on his mind other than the history of literature so far. Literature should not disappear up its own asshole, so to speak.”

“Here was what Kilgore Trout cried out to me in my father's voice: "Make me young, make me young, make me young!”

“Literature is the only art in which the audience performs the score.”

“i didn't need a timequake to teach me being alive was a crock of shit. i already knew that from my childhood and crucifixes and history books.”