Art is a crime scene in a sense, a crucible, of the mind and heart and our dreams.

Every artist has his or her struggle to work out in their work. The more powerful the struggle, the more persuasive the art.

I'm the kind of father I wanted my father to be. That may be the sweetest revenge.

My poems often start with an idea, some kind of inspiration. I don't expect anything. Every now and then something like "The One Truth" comes out.

Happiness is a powerful thing. It freed me to do what I always wanted to do.

There are real facts in my poems, but facts mixed up in the perverse stubborn stew of imagination, add a pinch or two of revenge and retribution, a dash of amplification and reparation.

My first sense of myself was as an artist, a painter. I would see a Van Gogh painting and just love it, the more emotional and passionate the more it attracted me.

Am I the I she tried to save, still lopsided with trying to be a little less or more, escaping who I was a minute ago?

As a poet and a teacher, I read all the time. I know I read slowly. I like reading, but I don't read any more than I have to.

I never feel more alone than when I'm traveling. Alone and, to some extent, helpless. The world expects a certain level of competence and can be merciless when this expectation is unmet.

A man with wisdom will always have a solution no matter how big his challenges may be. Wisdom makes you a problem solver.

The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.

When people try to rain on your parade, ...pee on theirs

When I get up I still check the rap blogs before I check any kind of dance stuff.

Only exercise on the days you want to improve your mood.

I am 1952. I masticate. I am like a big stomach.

I would heartily welcome the union of East and West provided it is not based on brute force.

It was a period when they used to read into our lyrics a lot, used to think there was more in them than there was.

If someone tells you to do something for money, tell them to go to hell.