At the time I begin writing a novel, the last thing I want to do is follow a plot outline. To know too much at the start takes the pleasure out of discovering what the book is about.

The newspaper is, in fact, very bad for one's prose style. That's why I gravitated towards feature stories where you get a little more leeway in the writing style.

Actors should arouse a sense of wonder because of their ability to exceed what the spectators can envision ever being able to do.

I'm not such a fan of imagination. If you're alive to details, they oftentimes suggest a richer or deeper imaginative line than you would have imagined.

A photographer must always work with the greatest respect for his subject and in terms of his own point of view.

Being Poet Laureate made me realize I was capable of a larger voice. There is a more public utterance I can make as a poet.