"I learned to impersonate the kind of person that talks about poetry. It comes from teaching, I think."

"One of the most powerful devices of poetry is the use of distortions. You can go from talking about the way a minute passes to the way a century passes, or a lifetime."

"Teaching writing over the years intrudes on your own writing in important ways, taking away some of the excitement of poetry."

"Poetry, almost by definition, calls attention to its language and form."

"An idea is a delicate seed; water it with curiosity and protect it from cynicism. Reflect upon this whenever doubt clouds your horizon."

"It is a radiant truth that the canvas of imagination has no boundaries except those imposed by fear."

"A visionary sees the unseen and knows a single spark of imagination can ignite the world."

"Our world faces a true planetary emergency. I know the phrase sounds shrill, and I know it's a challenge to the moral imagination."