Everyone always says that having kids is messy and sloppy. It's true, but you as a parent have to try to bring some boundaries and control over that experience, or you'd have out-of-control kids.

I think my brain is full of collisions and that's how I like to read and process information. I'm always comparing things and I think I do that subconsciously when I'm reading books of poetry.

My gut was always that if I taught students poetry, I would give too much of myself to them and have nothing left.

I question my own talent and ability to make creative work every single day.

I've always felt alone and isolated, and living on the West Coast, there's no poetry community out here, and if there is, it's really spread out - because it's LA, it's spread out.

As I published books, I realized, that's not really what I want. I don't care about the books as much anymore. I just want to write poetry.

I feel like I give myself all day long to other people and other things, and I still seem like I have something to write once in awhile. Not often, though.