Even though no one admits it, writers are leaders in their communities.

I happen to be pretty productive when I am in jail. When you are in jail, you have to spend more time with yourself.

Before the tribunal of nature, a man has no more right to life than a rattlesnake; he has no more right to liberty than any wild beast; his right to the pursuit of happiness is nothing but a license to maintain the struggle for existence, if he can find within himself the powers with which to do it.

I come to work with a smile and I leave with a laugh, and I'm so grateful.

I've always had a profound conviction that great music is about joy, even in the face of tragedy.

The music was the best thing about the Four Seasons and the central asset of the 'Jersey Boys' show. By concentrating on the group's personal wrangling, to the near exclusion of their songs, Clint Eastwood has jettisoned the joy and made this a one-Season movie: winter in New Jersey. And, man, that's bleak.