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

What I want to do is tell stories about normal people in the American suburbs. I don't write the book where it's a conspiracy reaching the prime minister I don't write the book with the big serial killer who lops off heads. My setting is a very placid pool of suburbia family life. And within that I can make pretty big splashes.

In my experience lust only ever leads to misery. All that suspicion and jealousy and anguish it unleashes. I don't want those things in my life.

When a child my dreams rode on your wishes I was your son high on your horse My mind a top whipped by the lashes Of your rhetoric windy of course.

Without peace all other dreams vanish and are reduced to ashes.

You know Americans are obsessed with life and death and rebirth that's the American Cycle. You know awakening tragic horrible death and then Phoenix rising from the ashes. That's the American story again and again.

Some people say it might be good for your career to die and then come back again. I have died many ways car crashes motorcycle crashes etc. But I am still alive.

People go to car races to watch the crashes.

I look away at car crashes and I know people who look away at car crashes because it makes us uncomfortable to watch other people in pain.

Life is a gamble. You can get hurt but people die in plane crashes lose their arms and legs in car accidents people die every day. Same with fighters: some die some get hurt some go on. You just don't let yourself believe it will happen to you.

It's best to have failure happen early in life. It wakes up the Phoenix bird in you so you rise from the ashes.

That which you create in beauty and goodness and truth lives on for all time to come. Don't spend your life accumulating material objects that will only turn to dust and ashes.

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

When I judge art I take my painting and put it next to a God made object like a tree or flower. If it clashes it is not art.

I'm an angry person angrier than most people would imagine I get flashes of anger. What works for me is working out when it's useful to use that anger.

Surfing is such an amazing concept. You're taking on Nature with a little stick and saying 'I'm gonna ride you!' And a lot of times Nature says 'No you're not!' and crashes you to the bottom.