Southern poets are still writing narrative poems, poems in forms, dramatic poems.

You have to really dive deep back into yourself and get rid of so much modern analytical categorization. It's one of the great things poetry does.

It was less a literary thing than a linguistic, philosophical preoccupation... discovering how far you can go with language to create immediate, elementary experience.

I have taught students from the New York City area so long I have a special affinity and rapport with them. It surprises me sometimes that there are students from anywhere else.

Distance not only gives nostalgia, but perspective, and maybe objectivity.

A lot of my students are Asian-American, and it has been thrilling to watch them break through the stereotypes into something alive and surprising.

Maybe the example of Southern fiction writing has been so powerful that Southern poets have sort of keyed themselves to that.

I seem to keep returning to my father in poems because his personality was so extreme, so driven. He did everything to excess.

Fiction is about intimacy with characters, events, places.

Some people want to call me an Appalachian writer, even though I know some people use regional labels to belittle.

The young people have MTV and rock and roll. Why would they go to read poetry? Poetry belongs to the Stone Age. It awakens in us perceptions that go back to those times.

Real love is a humble receptivity of a silent heart that is prepared to melt and merge…

Life is like a tango fortunate are the few who can master it.

Kyoko sniffs, unable to speak. Sometimes saying nothing means most of all.

Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense?

Modern man's difficulties, dangerous beliefs and feelings of loneliness, spiritual emptiness,and personal weakness are caused by his illusions about, and separation from, the natural world.

In Jewish tradition the Talmud is said to have been given on Sinai.

I can't imagine anybody disagrees with President Trump when he says, if we don't take care of our veterans, who are we really as a nation?

Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.

Men should have more time with their newborn babies.

I believe that a politician needs to be with people.