It's Hard To Explain Why Exactly, But

To Sing A Song Is Quite Different Than To Write A Poem. I'm Not And Never Will Be A Novelist, But To Write A Novel Is Not The Same Thing As Writing A Play. There Is A Difference In Form, But Essentially What You're After Is The Same Thing.

My Dad's Side Of The Family ... They're A Real Bizarre Bunch, Going Back To The Original Colonies. That Side's Got A Real Tough Strain Of Alcoholism. It Goes Back Generations And Generations, So That You Can't Remember When There Was A Sober Grandfather.

When I First Started, I Didn't Really Know How To Structure A Play. I Could Write Dialogue, But I Just Sort Of Failed Beyond That, And Kind Of Went Wherever I Wanted To Go.

My First Job Was With The Burns Detective Agency. They Sent Me Over To The East River To Guard Coal Barges During These God-awful Hours Like Three To Six In The Morning. It Wasn't A Very Difficult Job -- All I Had To Do Was Make A Round Every Fifteen Minutes -- But It Turned Out To Be A Great Environment For Writing. I Was Completely Alone In A Little Outhouse With An Electric Heater And A Little Desk.

This Isn't Champagne Anymore. We Went Through The Champagne A Long Time Ago. This Is Serious Stuff. The Days Of Champagne Are Long Gone.