I do not understand why any poet or writer would run for office; that's a different sense of who you are. I'm just a poet. I am as truthful as I can be. That makes me an artist. I heed the people; I do not lead the people.

Show me someone not full of herself and I'll show you a hungry person.

Writers ... I think ... live on that fine line between insanity and genius.

The only way you can grow is to let yourself make mistakes and create contradictions. As we learn new things, some of our old attitudes will change.

The poet can only write the poems; it takes the reader to complete the meaning.

I just think she was a wonderful woman. What I think of when I think of Nina [Simone] is someone that I could relate to, who didn't want anything from me, that could relate to me because I didn't want anything from her. It was nice.

Black Poetry is not for Black People...it is for everybody