The idea of absolute freedom is fiction. It's based on the idea of an independent self. But in fact, there's no such thing. There's no self without other people. There's no self without sunlight. There's no self without dew. And water. And bees to pollinate the food that we eat...So the idea of behaving in a way that doesn't acknowledge those reciprocal relationships is not really freedom, it's indulgence.
Peter CoyoteOnce you accept anything as tacked down, then you begin to build a structure, to accept limits. Then you have to make a choice as to whether or not you're going to accept that structure. If you do, you give up the notion of total freedom.
Peter CoyoteI would say 90 percent of my mail and phone calls are from people who want some kind of help or succor or commitment from me to do something.
Peter CoyoteWhen I got to Grinnell College, I was part of the black turtleneck sweater and Camel cigarette crowd of poets and writers.
Peter Coyote