More from Book of Changes, by Kristine McKenna:

What's the Most Significant Historical Event You've Witnessed in your Life?

William Burroughs (1990): "Hiroshima, of course. That was a dreadful turning in the course of human history. And how many people made the decision to drop that bomb? America calls itself a democracy, but the American people didn't even know the bomb existed until it had been dropped. That was probably the most important decision this or any country ever made, and how many people made that decision? Maybe five. You might say well, most people agreed we had to do it, but most people are so stupid they aren't worth talking about."

Does music have the capacity to bring about social change? And if it does, do musicians then have an obligation to address the political issues of their time?

Ray Charles (1983): "I don't think a musician has an obligation, but he does have the same rights as a plumber or a doctor. I think a person should contribute to whatever cause he believes in however he can. Personally, I think the most valid way to deal with these things is to try and get people's minds movin' in a positive direction."

What's the Biggest Obstacle you've overcome in your Life?

Brian Eno (1980): "Feeling that I ought to be doing something Very Important all the time. To feel that way is a source of energy, but the difficulty it presents is that it leads you to undervalue the time when you are apparently doing nothing. That kind of time is equally important in that it's a kind of dream time that allows things to get sorted out and reshuffled."