Going to the library was the one place we got to go without asking for permission. And they let us choose what we wanted to read. It was a feeling of having a book be mine entirely.

What is ironic is that Allen Ginsberg's importance was in its twilight for so many years that it took his death to bring it to the front page. He electrified an entire world!

In working on a poem, I love to revise. Lots of younger poets don't enjoy this, but in the process of revision I discover things

I believe people may have a predisposition for artistic creativity. It doesn't mean they're going to make it.

It makes me furious to hear haters of all skin colors - especially Christian, Jewish, and Muslim fundamentalists - deride other people because of their different beliefs and lifestyles.

There are distinct duties of a poet laureate. I plan a reading series at the Library of Congress and advise the librarian. The rest is how I want to promote poetry

Equality and self-determination should never be divided in the name of religious or ideological fervor.