If You Can't Be Free, Be A

There Are Distinct Duties Of A Poet Laureate. I Plan A Reading Series At The Library Of Congress And Advise The Librarian. The Rest Is How I Want To Promote Poetry

I Never Think Of My Audience When I Write A Poem. I Try To Write Out Of Whatever Is Haunting Me; In Order For A Poem To Feel Authentic, I Have To Feel I'm Treading On Very Dangerous Ground, Which Can Mean That The Resulting Revelations May Prove Hurtful To Other People. The Time For Thinking About That Kind Of Guilt Or Any Collective Sense Of Responsibility, However, Occurs Much Later In The Creative Process, After The Poem Is Finished.

Being True To Yourself Really Means Being True To All The Complexities Of The Human Spirit.

I See A Resurgence Of Interest In Poetry. I Am Less Optimistic About The Prospects For The Arts When It Comes To Federal Funding.

Nothing Is Too Small. Nothing Is Too, Quote-unquote, Ordinary Or Insignificant. Those Are The Things That Make Up The Measure Of Our Days, And They're The Things That Sustain Us. And They're The Things That Certainly Can Become Worthy Of Poetry.