Personal relationship with God is not all just the ceremony and not the religion of doing something because you were told that’s what you have to do; it’s relationships, it’s like we have relationships with our families, with our friends, with our loved ones.

I believe in ceremony. I think ceremony is important, pomp and circumstance, tradition. I’m into those things.

Friendship should be surrounded with ceremonies and respects, and not crushed into corners.

What, no more ceremony? See, my women! Against the blown rose may they stop their nose That kneel’d unto the buds.

We have to do that. We have to be thankful. That’s what we said. Two things were told to us: To be thankful, so those are our ceremonies, ceremonies of thanksgiving. We built nations around it, and you can do that, too. And the other thing they said was enjoy life. That’s a rule, a law- enjoy life- you’re supposed to.

I’m not superstitious in my normal daily life but I get that way about writing, even though I know it’s all bullshit. But I began that way and so, that’s the way it is. My ritual is I never use a typewriter or computer. I just write it all by hand. It’s a ceremony. I go to a stationary store and buy a notebook and then fill it up.