“Conformity runs rampant through everyday life, and people want to read about characters that deviate from societal norms.”

“The score is in your subconscious. Sit down long enough at a keyboard and it will come out.”

“Anyone 100% optimistic is on medicine.Anyone 100% pessimistic should be.”

“Getting wasted is never a waste of time.”

“Do I love Black people? Yes. As much as I love my own race.Do Black lives matter?Of course.Will I oppress my spirit with White Guilt and faulty notions of White Privilege?Hell no.Gotta love yourself before you can love anyone else.”

“Listening to Led Zeppelin's Heartbreaker while reading your own book, sipping a beer after midnight, is a satisfying feeling...however fleeting.”

“Be the person you are, not the one others try to create.”

“If a man can't learn from sorrow he can't learn from anything.”

“There is no more contemptible sound than a gunshot.”

“Life can be tough and harsh at times. That's what makes it great. Every day is a celebration of survival.”

“I'll never suppress my identity -- that's like filing away your fingerprints so the money can slide into your pockets easier.”