To me, a poem is almost like someone whispering to another person, or you hear the whispering in your head. I hope with my own poems that the reader feels a connection, soul to soul, that'll help us all feel a little less alone on the planet. And it does have the power to direct change. A writer can make the word 'dark' be something positive. You can relieve a word like 'hysterical' of its misogynistic implications. You can make the language your own. That's what poetry is about.

It's the combination of the intimate and the public that I find so exciting about being poet laureate.

My favorite poets may not be your bread and butter. I have more favorite poems than favorite poets.

I was pirouette and flourish, I was filigree and flame. How could I count my blessings when I didn't know their names?

Under adversity, under oppression, the words begin to fail, the easy words begin to fail. In order to convey things accurately, the human being is almost forced to find the most precise words possible, which is a precondition for literature.

I loved to read, but I always thought that the dream was too far away. The person who had written the book was a god, it wasn't a person.

I see a resurgence of interest in poetry. I am less optimistic about the prospects for the arts when it comes to federal funding.