I used to have a silk dressing gown an uncle bought in Japan and when I came downstairs in it my dad used to call me Davinia. There was never embarrassment about that kind of thing. My sister used to dress me up a lot. She thought I was a little doll.

It was you know probably 80 degrees out in L.A. and my dad took me outside and there was snow. At the time I thought 'Every kid doesn't have snow in their backyard on Christmas?'

When I started writing I did have some idealised notion of my dad as a writer. But I have less and less of a literary rivalry with him as I've gone on. I certainly don't feel I need his approval although maybe that's because I'm confident that I've got it.

I have one brother John an airline pilot who is seven years younger. He's adopted though we're still blood related - he's my cousin. My parents couldn't have any more children after me so when Dad's brother died they adopted John then just a baby.

My mother told me Homer Ditto was not my father. Nope. Mom had had a fling with some other guy who was my dad. Some dude who didn't stick around too long who Mom was happy to get rid of. She chose Homer and Homer chose me so he lent me his name even though I didn't have his blood.

I would have to say the person with whom I am most in love is definitely my son Everly Bear. Although I'm his dad I'm also his friend.

You do need parental guidance and I was in a great position with both my mum and dad. They split when I was a baby but even though I stayed with my mom they were both very much involved in my upbringing.

I didn't know my Dad - he moved out early. And my mom's politics were kind of hardscrabble. She didn't think about Democrats or Republicans. She thought about who made sense. I've been both in my life.

And I saw the sax line-up that he had behind him and I thought I'm going to learn the saxophone. When I grow up I'm going to play in his band. So I sort of persuaded my dad to get me a kind of a plastic saxophone on the hire purchase plan.

I'm very at ease and I like it. I never thought I would be such a family-oriented guy I didn't think that was part of my makeup. But somebody said that as you get older you become the person you always should have been and I feel that's happening to me. I'm rather surprised at who I am because I'm actually like my dad!

My dad bless him was a musician. And his dad had thought that his music was rubbish.

My dad used to say 'You wouldn't worry so much about what people thought about you if you knew how seldom they did.

I have always thought of Walt Disney as my second father.

No I never thought about my father's money as my money.

I love my dad although I'm definitely critical of him sometimes like when his pants are too tight. But I love him so much and I try to be really supportive of him.

I was raised by free-spirited people though my father gave me a very strong work ethic.

When I was 18 I thought my father was pretty dumb. After a while when I got to be 21 I was amazed to find out how much he'd learned in three years.

To show the world what long experience gains requires not courage though it calls for pains but at life's outset to inform mankind is a bold effort of a valiant mind.

It is remarkable that this people though unarmed dares attack an armed foe the infantry defy the cavalry and by their activity and courage generally prove victors.

Courage is the fear of being thought a coward.

Although the war in which you fought took place more than half-a-century ago your courage your sacrifice and your patriotism reaches through the decades and inspires us today.

I'm a writer of faith who worries about the intolerance of religion. I look at the past and fear we haven't learned from it. I believe that humanity is capable of evil as well as great acts of courage and goodness. I have hope. Deep down I believe in the human spirit although sometimes that belief is shaken.

I admired Eugene McCarthy's courage and although I left his Senate staff after four years to accept a job as the researcher on the editorial page of the 'Washington Post ' I remained an admirer.

The President regards the Japanese as a brave people but courage though useful in time of war is subordinate to knowledge of arts hence courage without such knowledge is not to be highly esteemed.