After the first few readings in comedy venues I did begin to write for laughs. There's something so gratifying about stimulating laughter.

Negative space is important. When I teach students to read critically I advise them to look for what the author isn't saying just as carefully as for what he or she is.

Whenever I do a comedy show I still just read poems, some of which are intentionally funny and some of which are just bizarre. The mix seems to work well.

Writing essays and teaching composition have helped me immensely in writing poetry, because they've forced me to focus on the structure of ideas.

I don't really want to write fiction at all. I don't see why fiction is necessary when we have real life already confusing enough.

Surprise keeps the reader awake. The only alternative is to continue saying what the reader is expecting. What fun is that?

Poetry is a way for me to explore a tingly feeling, to let it play itself out, and also to map it. I feel like I'm making little star maps when I write poems.

The brands with which we surround ourselves prop us up, make us feel sexy and beautiful, when in reality we're pretty dumpy creatures.

The artist's greatest creation beganthe night he washed his memory of his failuresrubbed opium on his lipsdrank the wine that women offered himand lay down and wept.

Every book has an error

My fundamental interests are to preserve the good name and standing of this Australian Labor Party and to act in the national interest on behalf of the Australian Government.

All people are different. That's why everybody should be treated the same.

Go as far as you can, [young scientists]. The world needs you badly.

It's much simpler to be tortured on camera or to be filmed losing your mind. Whereas a script that has characters who are honest, witty and genuine is often much harder to act.

The human heart was undeniably the stupidest organ in the body.

If you want a glory that does not vanish, then do not glory in a glory that vanishes

You can't let any team awe you.

In any contest between power and patience, bet on patience.