John Updike Quotes

I think comedy stems from being honest, often painfully so. I hope I can achieve that perspective in my own life and also have fun.

There's always an element of truth to what I write because that's why I write.

Maybe I am just a jerk.

I'm very comfortable discussing my personal life, because it's so boring.

What's the point of a song if you can't be honest?

At least I have the modesty to admit that lack of modesty is one of my failings.

I think I have great responsibility, and when I do my music, when I try to relate to my audience, I just try to do it in an honest fashion, you know, just try to be as earnest as possible and sometime it may be self-effacing. Sometimes it may be finger-pointing. Sometimes it may be beautiful, and sometime it may be ugly.

I think comedy has to come from a real place. It has to come from an honest place.

Perhaps I'm particularly serious, because I'm not unaware of the potential absurdity of what I'm doing.

If you write something that's personal, there's going to be elements of yourself in it.

I'm just so comfortable talking about my private life: I just think because I'm not that clever.

To have a songwriter that wrote so specifically what I felt to be true... I've never been much of an actor either. If something is real for me, then I can do it.

It's hard to talk about yourself onstage and be sincere about it.

My weaknesses... I wish I could come up with something. I'd probably have the same pause if you asked me what my strengths are. Maybe they're the same thing.

Your writing voice is the deepest possible reflection of who you are. The job of your voice is not to seduce or flatter or make well-shaped sentences. In your voice, your readers should be able to hear the contents of your mind, your heart, your soul.

I'm not afraid to be bluntly honest in my songs, even if it means I'm discovering things about myself that I'd rather not.

I don't like talking about myself, if I'm honest.

I write to be truthful in my songs, which is why I wrote what's painfully truthful about my life in my autobiography.

I write essays to clear my mind. I write fiction to open my heart.

When it comes to the personal essays I write, I just convince myself that no one will ever read them.

Most of the worst things said about me, I've said myself.

I've learned not to hide behind a veil of irony - to talk about my work in a more honest way.

One of my big goals as a human being is to continue to write what's really happening to me, even if it's a tough pill to swallow for people around me... I do fear that if I ever were to have someone in my life who mattered, I would second-guess every one of my lyrics.

You write these vulnerable songs as a sort of therapy, but if you don't confront people on a daily basis, it's not reality. There's still a bit of separation there.

I think I write serious comedies. I would love to be able to write for pure pleasure, but the undertow is always loneliness.