I think I'd rather have my heart broke than do the breaking. —Lena

I feel like so much of what I'm doing is making a road where there is no road and inviting people on that road with me. It's scary. It's scary, but I can't listen to the voices that are saying form is the only way, or that there is only this kind of form or that kind of form.

There's me in every character I put on the pages.

Where I grew up, it was all people who were black and Latino, people who look like me. Now I live in a neighborhood where very, very few people look like me.

In all your getting, get understanding.

People are going to judge you all the time no matter what you do...Don't worry about other people. Worry about you.

I've learned about marrying poetry and prose and making both accessible.