On Bowie

The mystery of whether Thomas Pynchon heard “Space Oddity” before writing the last hundred pages of Gravity’s Rainbow is one of those questions I never stop asking myself.

Bowie liked to wear sexy pop trash on the outside because sexy pop trash was how he felt on the inside.

At this point, everybody listens to pop the way Bowie always listened, which is: this is cool, how can I steal it?

He loved to keep playing with the words over the years, just like Dylan keeps playing with “Tangled Up in Blue” (his own “Young Americans”).

Prince dropped Purple Rain, an album that consummated everything Let’s Dance promised, though his guitar sounded more like Scary Monsters—Prince

“You can hold back from the suffering of the world. You have free permission to do so, and it is in accordance with your nature. But perhaps this very holding back is the one suffering you could have avoided.”

Bowie’s space songs were always about isolation and his desire to overcome it.

it in unexpected places. Suddenly you’re surrounded by all these people going through the same shock and grief you feel, all of our heads hurting like a warehouse. Never thought I’d need so many people.

“I’ve met all the women, and I’ll tell you one thing, I’m more woman than any of ’em. I’m a real woman, because I have love, dependability, I’m good, kind, gentle, and I’ve the power to give real love. Why else would you think that such a strong man as David Bowie would be close to me? He’s a real man, and I’m a real woman. Just like Catherine Dene