“For me, it is OK as long as I can breathe, as long as my heart is pumping, as long as I can express myself.”

The United States is a melting pot. Like John F. Kennedy said, it’s a nation of immigrants. But Donald Trump wants to build a fence that clearly makes the statement: “You and I are divided.

Imagine one day, the hateful world around you collapses. And it is your attitude, words and actions that put an end to it. Will you be excited?

The so-called culture nowadays is only a fake one with a superficial front. It is an empty lie.

I have people working together, doing different things: architecture, art installation, photography, publishing, and curatorial works and design.

Maybe [success] is because I’m in China and I’m more open. Maybe it’s my independent behavior, or because I participated in certain projects. I have no idea.

As a person, I was born to give out my opinions. By giving out my opinions, I realize who I am.

I was an illegal alien for many, many years. I couldn’t move. If I moved I could not even get a visa back.

We grew up in a very material-lacking socialist society, but today China is a capitalist society. It’s very materialistic. It’s full of desire and luxury goods.

I never had secure, belonging feelings with this society [in China].

[Therefore] holding a trial outside the court. I think that is fairness, that is justice, that is a civil society. Otherwise call it an evil society because everything is hidden.

Liberty is about our rights to question everything.

The society was so different [in China] – it was a feudalistic society. It didn’t come to a point of industrial revolution until twenty years ago.

China restricts the society’s freedom of speech. The Communist Party imposes these limits because it lacks confidence towards the future and has no ideals.

I think by shattering it we can create a new form, a new way to look at what is valuable – how we decide what is valuable.

The museums used to be exhibition halls for government propaganda, and now every city wants to build a museum.

The people will always have the last word – even if someone has a very weak, quiet voice. Such power will collapse because of a whisper.

But herein lies the rub: Christianity has been on a long-term trend of decline in every Western cultural context that we can identify.

There are no easy choices. Easy choices are long gone.

John showed up to rehearsal with a long list of name suggestions, and I remember each and every one of them.

Be who you like as long as you mean it.

I’ve been writing full-time since 1978.

The poet lives as long as his lines are imprinted on the minds of his readers.

As long as we issue fiat currency, I see no alternative to a legal tender law.

During the first day, curious at having outsiders among them, a long stream of inmates came over and talked with me.