If people associate me with a region, that's fine with me.

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

I think that it's more likely that in my 60s and 70s I will be writing poetry rather than fiction.

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.

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.

A lot of my students are Asian-American, and it has been thrilling to watch them break through the stereotypes into something alive and surprising.