I've come to the point in my life where I encourage young Native Americans to become much more selfish about their personal needs and wants.

I know I'll keep writing poems. That's the constant. I don't know about novels. They're hard. It takes so much concentrated effort. When I'm writing a novel it's pretty much all I can do. I get bored. It takes months. Movies do the same thing. It's all-encompassing. It feels like I'm going to end up writing poems, short stories and screenplays.

If I were a doctor nobody would be inviting me to talk to reservations. I'd be a different person. Writers can influence more people.

I had the feeling I was going to be successful, and I didn't want to be another disappointing Indian.

In the middle of a crazy and drunk life, you have to hang onto the good and sober moments tightly.

The problem for me with liberals is that we've abdicated our moral responsibility to the universe.

I learned how to stop crying. I learned how to hide inside of myself. I learned how to be somebody else. I learned how to be cold and numb.