My older brother Mike is an excellent trumpet player. By the time he was 12 he was playing around Kansas City in classical situations. He was already an amazing talent.

Dick Van Dyke was my first idol. He's an amazing physical comedian like a classic clown but also very smart and not afraid to show vulnerability.

And I thought when I have kids that's the sort of well told silly and fun fairy tale that I would want to take them to. But it was an amazing experience. And I think Shrek is a real classic a fairy tale classic.

Gwen Stefani has amazing style. I used to really love Courtney Love and anything she wore I loved. Or Chloe Sevigny because I really love that sort of classic look and I like being girly and flowery and wearing little D&G dresses. I wear hats a lot too. I think it goes back to when I was a bit grungy and was a skater girl for a bit.

I think all writers of my age who are brought up on films probably by the age of 16 have seen many more films than they have read classics of literature. We can't help but be influenced by film. Film has got some great tricks that it's taught writers.

I never took guitar lessons. I took classical piano lessons from the age of six when we lived in Holland.

I never took guitar lessons. I took classical piano lessons from the age of six when we lived in Holland. And when we moved to America it was just the typical thing except I was really good at it so was my brother.

At the age when Bengali youth almost inevitably writes poetry I was listening to European classical music.

If repression has indeed been the fundamental link between power knowledge and sexuality since the classical age it stands to reason that we will not be able to free ourselves from it except at a considerable cost.