I’m the thing you most desire, you represent the thing I least desire, death. It’s just the opposite of love.

Poetry expands the senses and keeps them in prime condition. It keeps you aware of your nose, your eye, your ear, your tongue, your hand.

I have total recall. I remember being born. I remember being in the womb, I remember being inside. Coming out was great.

Looking back over a lifetime, you see that love was the answer to everything.

Do three things each night before you go to bed: read a poem, read a short story, read an essay.

Digression is the soul of wit. Take the philosophic asides away from Dante, Milton or Hamlet's father's ghost and what stays is dry bones.

You have to be very productive in order to become excellent. You have to go through a poor period and a mediocre period, and then you move into your excellent period. It may be very well be that some of you have done quite a bit of writing already. You maybe ready to move into your good period and your excellent period. But you shouldn't be surprised if it becomes a very long process.