The aim of all commentary on art now should be to make works of art - and by analogy our own experience - more rather than less real to us. The function of criticism should be to show how it is what it is even that it is what it is rather than to show what it means.

Every secret of a writer's soul every experience of his life every quality of his mind is written large in his works.

When a man wantonly destroys one of the works of man we call him a vandal. When he destroys one of the works of god we call him a sportsman.

I'd repair our education system or replace it with something that works.

President Obama is a principled man who has worked hard to put healthcare and a good education in the reach of millions of Americans and believes that everyone who works hard and plays by the rules should have a fair shot at the American dream.

I think of it as a good opportunity to let in particular school kids know that this job and other interesting jobs in science and engineering are open to anyone who works hard in school and gets a good education and studies math and science. And that it's not just for a select group of people.

Many of those who argue for vouchers say that they simply want to use competition to improve public education. I don't think it works that way and I've been watching this for a longtime.

There are 4 billion cell phones in use today. Many of them are in the hands of market vendors rickshaw drivers and others who've historically lacked access to education and opportunity. Information networks have become a great leveler and we should use them together to help lift people out of poverty and give them a freedom from want.

I feel more influenced in my own work by dreams than I do by other writers' works in a way. Or by popular culture movies - what else is there to write about than love and loss?

In dreams the truth is learned that all good works are done in the absence of a caress.

I try not to diet because it never really works for me if I tell myself I can't eat something then I tend to want to eat everything in sight.

Usually I design the lighting and when I have the physical set there I'm not good at going out loosely and saying 'Do you what you want give it to the editor and he'll figure it out.' I physically then walk on with the actors and I say 'Let's walk until you guys feel the space works for you and tell me when all that happens.'

The reward is that you can actually create a world separate from reality with a story actors music and camera design. When it works it can entertain move people and teach us all.

I write the way you might arrange flowers. Not every try works but each one launches another. Every constraint even dullness frees up a new design.

The wisdom of crowds works when the crowd is choosing the price of an ox when there's a single numeric average. But if it's a design or something that matters the decision is made by committee and that's crap. You want people and groups who are able to think thoughts before they share.

I think a lot of times people design restaurants with flash in mind. I think you should design restaurants with function in mind. Make sure it's functional and works with what you're trying to accomplish. Design can come later.

Now I design what I want to wear and it works that way.

Obviously I come from one background and the people that design fitness equipment have been doing it for years and years and they know what works and doesn't work.

A good scientist is a person with original ideas. A good engineer is a person who makes a design that works with as few original ideas as possible. There are no prima donnas in engineering.

Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course if you dig deeper it's really how it works.

Design works if it's authentic inspired and has a clear point of view. It can't be a collection of input.

Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.

I've accentuated the look over the years. As a comic you try something and if it works you go with it and grind it to death.

As a comic you try something and if it works you go with it and grind it to death.