I was very interested in American poetry for many years. Much less now.

But you'd have a job to find many of my poems which would seem to be very influenced by a particular person.

I only keep books that I like very much. Otherwise I'd throw them out.

When I was a teacher, teachers would come into my classroom and admire my desk on which lay nothing whatever, whereas theirs were heaped with papers and books.

And some poets are far better read off the page because they're very bad speakers. I'm thinking of one in particular whom I won't name, a good poet, and he reads in such a dry, boring way, your eyes start drooping.

I just didn't want to shoot other people.

Anybody who writes doesn't like to be misunderstood.