To tell the truth is to become beautiful, to begin to love yourself, value yourself. And that's political, in its most profound way.

As I think about anyone or anything -- whether history or literature or my father or political organizations or a poem or a film -- as I seek to evaluate the potentiality, the life-supportive commitment and possibilities of anyone or any thing, the decisive question is always where is the love?

... the histories of Blacks and Jews in bondage and out of bondage, have been blood histories pursued through our kindred searchings for self-determination. Let this blood be a stain of honor that we share. Let us not now become enemies to ourselves and to each other.

The first function of poetry is to tell the truth, to learn how to do that, to find out what you really feel and what you really think

What's important about poetry in the context of leadership is that most of the time, power has to do with dominance. But poetry is never about dominance. Poetry is powerful but it cannot even aspire to dominate anyone. It means making a connection. That's what it means.

Like running trying to live a good life has to hurt a little bit, or we're not running hard enough, not really trying.

I think I have come to a place where I'm able to feel more comfortable about being honest.