Go without a coat when it's cold; find out what cold is. Go hungry; keep your existence lean. Wear away the fat, get down to the lean tissue and see what it's all about. The only time you define your character is when you go without. In times of hardship, you find out what you're made of and what you're capable of. If you're never tested, you'll never define you character.

Hating someone is giving them too much, just leave them alone.

I don't think you'll ever have a perfect world because we humans are prone to error, and so we're always in search of an upgrade.

Most poets are elitist dregs more concerned with proving their skill with a dictionary than communicating ideas with impact.

It is only our humanity that can deliver us from the brutality of our achievements.

Being in New York is an almost overwhelming experience. While Washington, D.C., is my favorite American city, I regard New York City as the most amazing city in the world. No other comes close. It is an incredible, inexhaustible engine.

Some soldier will say, 'You know, sir, you and I have some political disagreements, but I'm glad you came all the way out here.' And you know, you say, 'Well, maybe one day you'll see the light but I'm glad to be out here with you.'