Most women writers don't interest me because they're hung up with being a woman, they're hung up with being Jewish, they're hung up with being somebody or other. Rather than just going, just spurting, just creating.

I've said this over and over, but I'll say it a million more times - I'm concerned more about the death of a bee than I am about terrorism. Because we're losing hives and bees by the millions because of such strong pesticides.

I always wrote like rock 'n' roll. And I always listen to rock 'n' roll as poetry.

When I was home, traditionally since I was young, I'd write in cafés. That was the romantic notion in 1963. Café atmospheres back then were different. The café life really stemmed from the Parisians' idea of it, with poets struggling over their poems and drinking coffee. No music, no sounds, maybe a little jazz, or soul, but mostly nothing. Now you go into a café and the music is really loud, people are having business meetings, they are on their cellphones. It changes from generation to generation.

The people have the power to redeem the work of fools. Upon the meek the graces shower, it's decreed the people rule.

Hung-up women can't produce anything but mediocre art, and there ain't no room for mediocre art.

People need space to air out their thoughts, to have a sense of themselves - unfettered by anything.