You've read some of the poems in this new unpublished book [Walker's Alphabet], e.g., the poem "C." I have a number of poems whose titles are letters of the alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F.

In actual fact, I have been an academic - a college and university teacher and scholar - for much of the last 45 years, and only rarely a writer.

Breath and brevity are sisters; the long-winded is an enemy who muffles your heartbeat.

Poetics is a science for stammering poets.

[Cancer] didn't make me more intense about not working more and just having fun more. It didn't do that either. 

After Fifty Shades of Grey, I think my writing is pretty tame, isn't it?

The crows that are predatory are something you have to deal with. For me, they also become associated with cancer cells.