If a poem is not memorable, there's probably something wrong. One of the problems of free verse is that much of the free verse poetry is not memorable.

With prose you can incorporate more details, develop scenes, sustain the tension in a special way. Prose has its own speed.

I have taught students from the New York City area so long I have a special affinity and rapport with them. It surprises me sometimes that there are students from anywhere else.

I considered going to film school; I took a course in film and was very interested in filmmaking as well as film writing.

Teaching writing over the years intrudes on your own writing in important ways, taking away some of the excitement of poetry.

The fact that something is in a rhymed form or in blank verse will not make it good poetry.

The Black Mountain poet I like most is the early Creeley. Those early poems seem very lyrical and very traditional, with a lot of voice and character.