Poets are immersed in process, and I mean process not as an amorphous blur but as a discipline. The hard work of writing has taught me that in matters of the heart, such as writing, or faith, there is no right or wrong way to do it, but only the way of your life. Just paying attention will teach you what bears fruit and what doesn't. But it will be necessary to revise--to doodle, scratch out, erase, even make a mess of things--in order to make it come out right.
Kathleen NorrisI am learning to see loneliness as a seed that, when planted deep enough, can grow into writing that goes back out into the world.
Kathleen NorrisWhen you are unhappy, is there anything more maddening than to be told that you should be contented with your lot?
Kathleen NorrisI sense that striving for wholeness is, increasingly, a countercultural goal, as fragmented people make for better consumers.
Kathleen NorrisA short-lived fascination with another person may be exciting-I think we've all seen people aglow, in a state of being "in love with love"-but such an attraction is not sustainable over the long run. Paradoxically, human love is sanctified not in the height of attraction and enthusiasm, but in the everyday struggles of living with another person. It is not in romance but in routine that the possibilities for transformation are made manifest. And that requires commitment.
Kathleen Norris