Dorianne Laux, The Poet's Companion: A Guide To The Pleasures Of Writing Poetry Quotes
Good writing works from a simple premise: your experience is not yours alone, but in some sense a metaphor for everyone's.
Every good poem asks a question, and every good poet asks every question.
Who you are contributes to your poetry in a number of important ways, but you shouldn't identify with your poems so closely that when they are cut, you're the one that bleeds.
You are not your poetry. Your self-esteem shouldn't depend on whether you publish, or whether some editor or writer you admire thinks you're any good.