I was appointed Poet Laureate. It came totally out of the blue because most Poet Laureates had been considerably older than I. It was not something that I even had begun to dream about!

The library is an arena of possibility, opening both a window into the soul and a door onto the world.

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

Being true to yourself really means being true to all the complexities of the human spirit.

I prefer to explore the most intimate moments, the smaller, crystallized details we all hinge our lives on.

I think children have talent and insight, but it gets beaten out of them.

It's unfortunate that sometimes in schools, there's this need to have things quantified and graded.