"Among the American contemporaries I read with most enjoyment are several North Carolinians. I think the best poetry being written these days is being written by Southerners."

"Part of what we love about poetry is the fact that it seems ancient, that it has an authority of ancient language and ancient form, and that it's timeless, that it reaches back."

"The decision to write in prose instead of poetry is made more by the readers than by writers. Almost no one is interested in reading narrative in verse."

"Some people swear by writing courses, but whether it really helps American poetry, I have doubts."

"Time heals griefs and quarrels, for we change and are no longer the same persons."

"None but the brave deserves the fair."

"I have fun being sexy and tough at the same time."

"Justice is the harmonious balance between individual liberty and collective good. This remains the cornerstone of personal mastery — an essential principle for the reflective life."