A thousand woodpeckers flew in through the window and settled themselves on Pinocchio's nose.

How ridiculous I was as a Marionette! And how happy I am, now that I have become a real boy!

A thousand woodpeckers flew in through the window and settled themselves on Pinocchio's nose.

Once upon a time there was a piece of wood. It was not an expensive piece of wood. Far from it. Just a common block of firewood, one of those thick, solid logs that are put on the fire in winter to make cold rooms cozy and warm.

How it happened that Mastro Cherry, carpenter, found a piece of wood that wept and laughed like a child.

At such a loving invitation, Pinocchio, with one leap from the back of the orchestra, found himself in the front rows. With another leap, he was on the orchestra leader's head. With a third, he landed on the stage.

Fancy the happiness of Pinocchio on finding himself free! Without saying yes or no, he fled from the city and set out on the road that was to take him back to the house of the lovely Fairy.

Pinocchio, spurred on by the hope of finding his father and of being in time to save him, swam all night long.

A boy's appetite grows very fast, and in a few moments the queer, empty feeling had become hunger, and the hunger grew bigger and bigger, until soon he was as ravenous as a bear.

When poverty shows itself, even mischievous boys understand what it means.

A conscience is that still small voice that people wont listen to.

Where fear is, happiness is not.

Success without fulfillment is failure.

Physically, it is very demanding as an actor, and I don't want to put a lot of focus on that, but I think it is emotionally and mentally a lot more... It can completely twist you... We abandon ourselves for days and months, and by the end of it, we are twisted people which you make fun of.

My style of songwriting is influenced by cinema. I'm a frustrated filmmaker. A fan once said to me, 'Girl, you make me see pictures in my head!' and I took that as a great compliment. That's exactly my intention.

Most people that commit to a life of celibacy werent leaving that much on the table in the first place.

Well, I think in my own work the subject matter usually deals with characters I know, aspects of myself, friends of mine - that sort of thing.

It took me a long time to know enough about writing to really write short stories. You can't just immerse yourself, as you do in a novel, and see where everything goes. Novels are a very flexible, accommodating form. Short stories aren't.

In a consumer society, people wallow in things, fascinating, enjoyable things. If you define your value by the things you acquire and surround yourself with, being excluded is humiliating.

Feelings are much like waves we cant stop them from coming but we can choose which one to surf.

Know which officials are voted into office and which are appointed, and by whom.

The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.

The minute I get into a hotel room, I scatter my stuff everywhere. It's like a bomb site within a minute. So I suppose that means I'm trying to nest.

The day I pitched, I would drink either 'cause I was celebrating or I lost and couldn't sleep.

When I was signed, that was before the punk thing even happened.

I am not reclusive. I just have a private life.

In India, there's a way of seeing life as a cosmic play. It's called Lila. I can watch my life, and I can see my guru playing with me.

The flowers anew returning seasons bring But beauty faded has no second spring.

I just recently did a film with Disney, and they put the drawings straight on the computer. And it's all painted on the computer now and not by hand anymore.

Style is the perfection of a point of view.

I guess there are people who are like, 'Here's one thing, and I'm gonna do it,' but I can't. I don't have the capacity to have that singular focus. I need to try to get a lot of things going 'cause you never know what's gonna hit.

I have written more than 100 novels and novellas since 1983 - I was first published in 1985. There was an overlap of three years with my teaching career, but finally I felt good enough about my writing career to quit teaching and write full time.

I think the documentary is something that people are hungry for, that it embodies careful thought, nuance.

Man should not try to avoid stress any more than he would shun food, love or exercise.

What I love about a play is that it's such an investment because only time can create a lot of what happens onstage.