All good poets of the past, almost without exception, were at least bilingual if not trilingual.

All good poets of the past, almost without exception, were at least bilingual if not trilingual.

There are not many poets whose fame rests on a single work.

The art of utterance persuades initially by its music and its rhythm, before semiotic or personal characteristics come into play.

If you like the precision and concision of poetry, a page of prose is unsatisfying in a certain way. And poetry is so direct.

I like art history and art criticism. Leo Steinberg has always been my favorite. Hes very original, very accurate and acute.

I liked teaching Henry James. When you look down at a Henry James novel from a helicopter height, you find an intricate spider web that all clings together.