I have quite a robust relationship with regret. You simply don't know what the alternative would have been.

Well I think if you really go out with someone for quite a long time you do get to know each other very very well you go through the good times you go through the bad times. You know both personally but also within a relationship as well.

I find it quite hard to sum up my relationship in a sound bite. I feel that it trivializes it for other people's pleasure. It's an adventure.

There's such an extreme feeling to be in love especially in quite an emotionally destructive relationship where you're both kind of really bad for each other but you love each other so much. Those extreme emotions I think can only be described with extreme imagery.

The overall view of the human genome project has been one of great excitement and positive press but there are people who have concerns that are quite reasonable and they are frightened of things they don't understand.

Music and songs are written at different periods of time at different times in your life. They reflect the feelings you have and to be honest I quite like having positive emotions.

People don't really understand but having people stare and point and take pictures even if it is in a positive framework is quite isolating there's no two ways about it. You feel a little bit you know freakish.

Everyone in L.A. is very positive and upbeat whereas London can get quite miserable at times.

Frustration although quite painful at times is a very positive and essential part of success.

We're seeing quite a lot of people who really would like a return to class-based politics.

I always had a long-term view of going into politics so I suppose I was always careful. I mean I got offered all these rinky dink tax deals but I always paid my taxes. I am naturally quite conservative.

I'm not involved in politics any more and they're quite right.

But I think it's quite clear in my work that my orientation isn't political or doesn't come out of modern politics.

Politics is almost as exciting as war and quite as dangerous. In war you can only be killed once but in politics many times.

I began the way nearly everybody I ever heard of - I began writing poetry. And I find that to be quite usual with writers their trying their hand at poetry.

PC stuff just lowers the general acceptance of good work and replaces it with bogus poetry that celebrates values that in themselves are probably quite worthy.

And I know I'm supposed to feel guilty for wanting people to buy my books... and books in general? Novels and poetry they belong to the realm of art. How dirty of us to try to hawk art! But after a decade of hand-wringing and apologies I can't quite muster the guilt anymore.