we all carry the Houses of our Youth inside, and our Parents, too, grown small enough to fit within our Hearts.
Erica JongIn a world not made for women, criticism and ridicule follow us all the days of our lives. Usually they are indications that we are doing something right.
Erica JongSex has the unparalleled power to make us absurd to ourselves. It also has the power to make us understand transcendence.
Erica Jongwe need poetry most at those moments when life astounds us with losses, gains, or celebrations. We need it most when we are most hurt, most happy, most downcast, most jubilant. Poetry is the language we speak in times of greatest need. And the fact that it is an endangered species in our culture tells us that we are in deep trouble.
Erica Jong