"Never underestimate the power of the State to act out its own massive fantasies."

"The future belongs to crowds."

"In a repressive society, a writer can be deeply influential, but in a society that's filled with glut and repetition and endless consumption, the act of terror may be the only meaningful act."

"I think more than writers, the major influences on me have been European movies, jazz, and Abstract Expressionism."

"Fear, anxiety and neurosis: that's just in the suitcase when you're an actor."

"We fear violence less than our own feelings. Personal, private, solitary pain is more terrifying than what anyone else can inflict."

"By making bold cuts in spending and commonsense entitlement reforms, we will make our government simpler, smaller, and smarter."

"My dad is like a cactus - introverted and tough. I'm a people person, like my mom, but I got my competitiveness from my dad. He came to this country from Belarus with nothing and built a real business. He's my hero for giving me that need to run a business and for having enormous confidence in me."