I still have a feeling that I haven't written the best that I can write. I think all poets must feel this: that there is constantly something new to be discovered in the language. It's like a thrilling encounter, and you can find things.

Poets deal in writing about feelings and trying to find the language and images for intense feelings.

I think the dangers are different now. Our abuse of the planet and our resources is an anxiety.

If I felt, in the event of a royal wedding, inspired to write about people coming together in marriage or civil partnership, I would just be grateful to have an idea for the poem. And if I didn't, I'd ignore it.

All of my relatives on both sides of my family are from Allentown.

When my mom passed, it hit us hard. She was the glue that held our family together.

It's a matriarchal family, the Carters. A.P. was the original head of the Carter family, but the women were always strong. There were no questions asked in that regard; you had better be strong.

Rosecrans is a family name - it used to be a last name in our family.