The art has to make it on its own, without explanations, and it’s the same for poetry. If the poem or the painting has to be explained, then it’s a failure in communication.

If you would be a poet, write living newspapers. Be a reporter from outer space, filing dispatches to some supreme managing editor who believes in full disclosure and has a low tolerance for bullshit.

Don't bow down to critics who have not themselves written great masterpieces.

If you're too open-minded; your brains will fall out.

T.S. Eliot's influence was enormous on my generation. Much more than Ezra Pound. I actually had to put T.S. Eliot books out of the house because my poetry was so influenced. Everything I wrote sounded like Eliot.

A lot of manuscripts that come in, you wonder by what outrageous fantasy the author believes that this should be pressed into print.

When I was a boy I was my father.