“Nobody reads a book to get to the middle.”

“Writing poetry is supernatural. Or, it should be.”

“The Throes of Poetry – Hymns formed from groans of acquaintance, its rhythm weaving between tranquility, compassions, and peril – like bare feet stomping on broken glass – bleeds, recoils, then steps again.”

“We can’t choose our poetic fathers any more than our biological ones — but we can choose how to come to terms with them.”

“Heavy as such things areAfter the wordslide, the writing begins.”From “Word Quake”

“We write, edit, and rewrite the story of our own life employing descriptive words, metaphors, and symbols. Our lives are full of symbols including those supplied by nature and religion, which touch upon the mystical and spiritual aspects of life. Symbols inspire enduring hope by formulating idealist expectations.”

“Just as a good rain clears the air, a good writing day clears the psyche.”

“Being in the mood to write, like being in the mood to make love, is a luxury that isn’t necessary in a long-term relationship. Just as the first caress can lead to a change of heart, the first sentence, however tentative and awkward, can lead to a desire to go just a little further.”

“I used to be afraid about what people might say or think after reading what I had written. I am not afraid anymore, because when I write, I am not trying to prove anything to anyone, I am just expressing myself and my opinions. It’s ok if my opinions are different from those of the reader, each of us can have his own opinions. So writing is like talking, if you are afraid of writing, you may end up being afraid of talking”

“Constant work, constant writing and constant revision. The real writer learns nothing from life. He is more like an oyster or a sponge. What he takes in he takes in normally the way any person takes in experience. But it is what is done with it in his mind, if he is a real writer, that makes his art.”