Poetry is a political act because it involves telling the truth.

That attitude that fighting is probably not fair, but you have to defend yourself anyway and damage the enemy, has been profoundly consequential as far as my political activism goes.

One of the reasons I came to Berkeley was because I saw so many students of all different colors speaking so many different languages and ferociously presenting all these different views. I thought, this is the 21st century and I want to be here!

I think I have come to a place where I'm able to feel more comfortable about being honest.

People can undergo a sudden change of thinking and loyalties under threat of death or intense social pressure and isolation from friends and family.

I do have a lot of time for people in my life, and friendship is a very important subject for me. I think I'm unusual among the writers I know in that respect.

I've seen material competitiveness destroy relationships in dressing rooms. People end up worrying about what someone else is earning and whether they're missing out.

Most friendship groups will have someone who starts a new relationship, and you just don't see them for four months. And that's always kind of sad, almost like an inverted break up. I guess the ideal situation is that whoever the new partner is can be subsumed into the friendship group.