"Sing for the teacher who told you that you couldn't sing."

"What felt magic can becomes either undone or overdone when you try to make a story out of it. Especially when you're a story-maker. Neil is. I am. We both are. I watch the story unfold. Sometimes I dictate the story to myself, then sometimes to the world. Sometimes I take dictation. Sometimes I get it wrong."

"I don't want to live to document my moments. I don't want to see a sunset and reach for my iPhone. I don't want to live my life and love my loves inside out. I fear, sometimes, that I do. I fear for all of us."

"There's no 'correct path' to becoming a real artist. You might think you'll gain legitimacy by going to art school, getting published, getting signed to a record label. But it's all bullshit, and it's all in your head. You're an artist when you say you are. And you're a good artist when you make somebody else experience or feel something deep or unexpected."