What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

I never do the same thing consistently every morning but I try to get outside as quickly as I can. I go out to breathe because I live in the country. Then I let the dog out and feed the cat. My animals have more of a routine than I do.

What was the first gig you went to?

I was taken to the symphony a lot because my mother loved classical music. But I was dragged to see Styx when I was 12. We had to drive 100 miles to Buffalo, New York. Someone threw up next to me and people were smoking pot. It was terrifying. I remember Styx had a white piano which rose out of the stage. It was awe-inspiring and inspirational.

Which song do you wish you had written?

I wish I'd written Tramp The Dirt Down, the Elvis Costello song. And I wish I'd written Strange Fruit. I don't know who wrote it but it was written in the '30s and Billie Holiday made it popular and Nina Simone did a very powerful version in thc '60s. It's a tremendously truthful song about lynchings in the south at the time of the Depression.

What is the best piece of advice you've ever received?

I guess it was from my mother when I told her I'd become a woman. She said, 'Keep your legs together.'

What is your most treasured material possession?

My piano. It brings me pleasure, my livelihood and I use it to write with. It's an upright Steinway studio piano that's 13 years old now.

Who was the last person you slept with?

Not people. My dog and my cat.

What do you think of Bob Dylan?

I think about Bob Dylan a lot because I know his son, Jakob. So he is a regular topic of conversation. I haven't met him and I'd never want to meet him. I guess that's what I really think of Bob Dylan - that I never want to meet him.

When did you last cry and why?

I was sick in bed recently and someone sent me a copy of the film My Life As A Dog and I cried when the little boy was saying, 'Tell me I didn't kill my Mama.'

What characteristics do you think you've inherited from your parents?

Facial features, hair colour, eye colour, my sense of humour and my laugh is directly descended from my mother's side of the family. Once the hysterical laughter starts, there's no way you can stop it.

What's the biggest myth about fame?

That famous people are interesting.

What are you like when you're drunk?

I get drunk about once a year. Very drunk. And I never really drink any other time. Actually, the last 10,000 Maniacs gig was the first time I'd got drunk in nearly two years. I laughed alot and threw lots of flowers out of the hotel window.

Who would you have play you in a film?

I think Audrey Hepburn would have done a good job.

Pick five words to describe yourself.

Patient, impatient, short, nervous, relaxed.

Is there one piece of criticism that sticks in your mind?

My first record review by Robert Christgau in The Village Voice. He said - and I'll inform you that I was only 17 years old, so it made a big impression on me - that I'd written the most pretentious lyrics since lysergic acid had been in flower. I was upset then but now I laugh about it because I've put Robert Christgau in perspective.

Do you believe in God?

I believe in some power, some energy, something that exists that is much greater than all of us and everything here. There are things that exist that we can't sense. I feel so insignificant in the scheme of things that I don't even have the ability to believe or not believe in its existence. If there were a God, I probably wouldn't be able to comprehend what God was. It's kind of a silly question. A little too heavy too.

What's your most unpleasant characteristic?

Procrastination, although that's more like my vice.

What is your greatest fear?

Getting really ill. Either mentally or physically.

What ambitions do you still have to fulfill?

I want to speak Italian. I want to play the cello. I want to be an accomplished equestrian. I want to travel in Nepal. I want to be an amazing painter. I want to be able to not think of anything sometimes. I want to have friendships in my life that I'll still have when I'm 85 years old. I want to have children. I want to learn how to grow my own food. I want to shear sheep. I want to lose 10lbs. I want to be at peace with the fact that I'm beneath being able to comprehend God. I want to fall in love with someone who I'll be satisfied having sex with after being married for 20 years. I want to plant just one lavender plant that makes it through the winter. And I want my hair back!

Are you afraid of failure?

I'm afraid of scorn.

What do you never leave home without?

I could say my house keys. Or I could say saying goodbye. Or I could say my shoes. But sometimes I don't lock the door and sometimes there's nobody there to say goodbye to and sometimes I go out barefoot. I guess I never leave without shutting the door.

Who is your best male and best female friend?

David Bither and Leslie Gill. But who cares?

Who would you most liketo meet?

There's a writer named Jonathan Kozol from Boston who has written several books of investigative journalism. He wrote Death At An Early Age and Rachel And Her Children and Savage Inequalities. I'd like to meet him and talk about his life. I have certain concrete things I'd like to discuss with him. I would be fascinated by him but not intimidated. I'm not interested in meeting movie stars or pop singers

What music would you have played at your funeral?

I'm not planning on having a funeral.

When you look in the mirror, do you like what you see?

Not at the moment.

Do you have anything to declare?

I'd like to declare that I'm not very good at declarations.