You can't control whether or not you have talent. You can't control whether or not your work will be recognized or valued. But what you can control is how much work you put your art-both in terms of creating it and in terms of getting it out there-and that is where I try to focus my energy.

You can't control whether or not you have talent. You can't control whether or not your work will be recognized or valued. But what you can control is how much work you put your art-both in terms of creating it and in terms of getting it out there-and that is where I try to focus my energy.

Andrea Gibson is a truly American poet, or rather, she represents the America I want to live in. Her work lights a candle to lead us where we need to go.