“There are things of such darkness and horror—just, I suppose, as there are things of such great beauty—that they will not fit through the puny human doors of perception.”

“It's your gift, to see the beauty and the horror in ordinary things. It doesn't make you crazy, just different.”

“It is ridiculous to suppose that the great head of things, whatever it be, pays any regard to human affairs.”

“I just think of things as beautiful or not. Can't you understand? I don't think of good or bad. Just of beautiful or ugly. I think a lot of nice things are ugly and a lot of nasty things are beautiful.”

“If I can't make it through one door, I'll go through another door- or i'll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present.”

“[Stating a variation to William Blake's aphorism] When you open the doors of perception, you can see things as they are -- horrible.”

“If there is anything beautiful other than absolute beauty, that can only be beautiful as far as it partakes of absolute beauty—and this I should say of everything. …by beauty all things become beautiful. …by greatness only great things become great and greater and greater, and by smallness the less becomes less.”

“The sweetest thing that ever grew
Beside a human door!”

“Darkness was a beautiful thing. The kiss of a shadow. A caress as soft as moonlight.”

“The outsiders. I’m interested in the people that don’t necessarily fit and the thing that gives you permission to be uncomfortable. I like dark work because you’re forced to learn about certain things…”