It sounds old-fashioned to say, but we have some kind of purpose for being here, not poets or writers, but all of us humans.

We're all vulnerable in our various ways, and what we are physically, our bodies, is what has developed with the goal of keeping that life safe and intact, at least until we have procreated. That's what our bodies are, the protection of life.

I think the language of science is highly lyrical and evocative and an important part of our lives in many ways.

I approach writing a poem in a much different state than when I am writing prose. It's almost as if I were working in a different language when I'm writing poetry. The words - what they are and what they can become - the possibilities of the words are vastly expanded for me when I'm writing a poem.

Often I'm struck by something that I read; then I go and research it a little more, especially if I begin a poem, and I find out that I need to know more. Then I usually get intrigued and excited about whatever it is I'm writing about.

One of the most important differences I see between prose and poetry is the music of the language.

Ordering is very important with essays, even if a reader doesn't read the essays or the poems in order through the book...