I still have a book club with my friends from when I was 5. That's the privilege of growing up in a place where people want to remain. It's a huge gift.

Growing up in New York City, I was always encouraged to question authority, and I think I confused patriotism with jingoism.

Growing up in New York with artist parents - a very liberal environment, where we were always encouraged to challenge the status quo - I think for a long time I confused jingoism with patriotism. And that is a mistake.

Growing up, I wanted desperately to please, to be a good girl.

In a book, you can create a world in your imagination that's as intricate as you want. Even something like 'Angels & Demons.' I was reading it, thinking, 'This is incredible! This is so scary!'

To think the world therefore a general Bedlam, or place of madmen, and oneself a physician, is the most necessary point of present wisdom: an important imagination, and the way to happiness.

I think technical people now should learn literature, because literature teaches you a great deal about how - the depths and variety of human imagination.

I feel it's my job as the artist who is making the music to pair it with visuals that I see in my head while writing the music in the first place.