I accept challenges, I have always done that in writing.

Then I decided to draw from and on my own imagination, and everything came out perfect.

When I began writing, I didn't read any other children's poets... I didn't want to be influenced until I'd found my own voice. Now I read them all.

Poetry seems to sink into us the way prose doesn't. I can still quote verses I learned when I was very young, but I have trouble remembering one line of a novel I just finished reading.

A poet is not something you become; a poet is something you are.

I'm usually working on eight or 10 things at once.

Otherwise I don't read much adult poetry at all, because I'm not smart enough and mostly I don't get it.