Love between women is seen as a paradigm of love between equals, and that is perhaps its greatest attraction.

The maxims for success laid out by the powerful are never much good as guides for those who aren't powerful.

reaction isn't action - that is, it isn't truly creative.

Though we do not have many poets, we certainly have more than we deserve, for we deserve none at all. It is ourselves that we are hurting by our stupidity and ignorance of poetry.

We don't get offered crises, they arrive.

what society requires from art ... is that it function as an early warning system.

I admire people who are suited to the contemplative life. They can sit inside themselves like honey in a jar and just be. It's wonderful to have someone like that around, you always feel you can count on them. You can go away and come back, you can change your mind and your hairdo and your politics, and when you get through doing all these upsetting things, you look around and there they are, just the way they were, just being.