I think Madonna has a great deal of intelligence and capability. I have a lot of respect for her. She's taken her career and maximized it with intelligence and creativity.

In my career I have never felt that my being a woman was an obstacle or an advantage. I guess I've been oblivious.

I only wanted to be a songwriter. I never wanted to be a singer. And I never wanted to be famous.

My one area of vulnerability was I didn't know how to have a healthy relationship with a man.

During the cold war, it was easy for the Pentagon to justify its budget, as the Soviets essentially sized our forces for us. We simply counted up their stuff and either bought more of the same or upgraded our technology.

I don't think immigrants are that threatening to society at all. They're just happy they've survived some war somewhere.

While Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is a brutal dictator and should be tried at the Hague for international war crimes, the United States should not militarily overthrow him.

So, I've never been politically correct, even before that term was available to us, and I have really identified with other people who don't want to be read as just a black poet, or just a woman poet, or just someone who represents a cause, an anti-Vietnam war poet.