Mortal City was really influenced by geography. [The song] "The Ocean" is the Pacific Northwest. Southern California and New York also figure into songs, and Iowa. "February" is very much about New England. "Mortal City" is Philadelphia. The whole album is this anthropomorphized landscape where the metaphors live in this geography.

...we're all in a soup of trying to live by words, and trying to live by poetry. It's both humbling, and really flattering to know that my words are part of all that.

I really value people besides parents who nurture kids.

They preach that I should save the world. They pray that I won't do a better job of it.

I'm becoming a professional nomad and enjoying that whole part of my life.

There was a lot of distance between the Dar of The Honesty Room and the Dar of Mortal City, so there was no attempt.

I would encourage people to bridge broadly and creatively in their communities, not just because that creates the most fun and resiliency, but also because it creates the most points of access for people to be part of the community, which is what democracy is at its best.