The great watershed of modern poetry is French, more than English.

The decision to write in prose instead of poetry is made more by the readers than by writers. Almost no one is interested in reading narrative in verse.

The great watershed of modern poetry is French, more than English.

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.

Distance not only gives nostalgia, but perspective, and maybe objectivity.

One of the most powerful devices is to distort time, to go from human time to atomic time, geologic time. Sometimes you can actually accomplish that, with one unexpected word choice.

Some people want to call me an Appalachian writer, even though I know some people use regional labels to belittle.