The American Dream is a phrase we'll have to wrestle with all of our lives. It means a lot of things to different people. I think we're redefining it now

I thought, after the Pulitzer, at least nothing will surprise me quite that much in my life. And another one happened. It was quite amazing.

The poetry that sustains me is when I feel that, for a minute, the clouds have parted and I've seen ecstasy or something

I think that when a poem can move readers across generations and across its specific class or race then it becomes truly classic.

Libraries are where it all begins.

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

I have a high guilt quotient. A poem can go through as many as 50 or 60 drafts. It can take from a day to two years - or longer.