I donโt worry anymore about writing. There are times that I go through dry periods. I never go through a block. Iโm always writing, but there are times where Iโm just not on my game, and Iโll use that time to read some new poets, go see some art, walk down to the river and just stare at it, or have a conversation with my sister, or whateverโdo whatever it is that I do in my life, hoping that Iโll get filled up enough. And something will happen, some juggling will happen and boom.
Dorianne LauxEvery poem I write falls short in some important way. But I go on trying to write the one that wonโt.
Dorianne LauxWe aren't suggesting that mental instability or unhappiness makes one a better poet, or a poet at all; and contrary to the romantic notion of the artist suffering for his or her work, we think these writers achieved brilliance in spite of their suffering, not because of it.
Dorianne LauxJoseph [Millar] is much more disciplined than I am. He's up every morning meditating, then he writes, and he reads throughout the day. He probably reads ten books to my two and writes twice as much as I do.
Dorianne Laux