I've always done things that were good for me, whether they were viewed as being as prestigious or whatever.

I love being part of poetry conversations. I love talking about what I've read.

Whether people like your work or not, but it's also based on a lot of other things - geography, who you happen to connect with and where they sit in that ladder - and all of that felt really isolating and disheartening to me when I figured it out.

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

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've always done things that were good for me, whether they were viewed as being as prestigious or whatever.

Sometimes I feel like I'm on top of the world, and other mornings I feel like crap.