You don't want to be conscious of everything.

That's the main work that I've done in my life - really wanting to get past that gender trap where there's a certain nudity in poetry. It's not about showing my soul, it's about observations.

There are lots of people in the world whose existence doesn't revolve around American culture.

Sometimes it's better to live through someone's work than the person themselves, and to realise that every human being is flawed, but through art they can be perfect.

Of course there are influences, of course there are things that are inspiring, but it's weird to think that I'm trying to keep a mental inventory of them and report them clearly to whomever might ask.

Generally I try to read anything but indie rock journalism or anything about music at all, especially in the summer.

It's a strange life... you really don't know how you will impact people or how things will play out.