Patriotism threatens free speech with death. It is infuriated by thoughtful hesitation, constructive criticism of our leaders and pleas for peace. It despises people of foreign birth. It has specifically blamed homosexuals, feminists and the American Civil Liberties Union. In other words, the American flag stands for intimidation, censorship, violence, bigotry, sexism, homophobia and shoving the Constitution through a paper shredder. Whom are we calling terrorists here?

Poetry feels like a country I visit without a passport, where I look around furtively, grab hold of something precious, and try to smuggle it back across the border. Any poem I get written down feels like contraband to me.

We agreed with him in principal - we were little scientists, born and bred. But children robbed of love will dwell on magic.

Every time I step onto an airplane, I turn to the right and take a good, hard stare into the maw of the engine. I don't know what I'm looking for. I just do it.

Given my own circumstances, I find that anything can turn out to belong nearly anywhere.

I know I'm a rare person, a trained scientist who writes fiction, because so few contemporary novelists engage with science.

What I want is so simple I almost can't say it: elementary kindness.