I try to make sense of things that confuse me. The mechanics of my heart are the most confusing I know about - and I don't know about - and other people's are a bit confusing too. I think we're very much in a mystery here in this life and that artists try to pierce the mystery with their art.

My experience is that the universal is the personal. If you can get past your navel-gazing into the deepest part of yourself as a writer, you can find everyone. We're all here. The reason Hank Williams' catalogue is still so active is because he had a very deep grasp of how to articulate very complex emotional states simply, so everyone can understand.

Sometimes just the telling of the story, the characters, the human condition, can be quite funny. Especially in the dark parts, because that's where humour lies. It comes from sadness: we laugh at ourselves and at our predicaments here.