EXCERPT FROM THE INTERVIEW

I never define myself as a poet. W. H. Auden said, “You’re a poet only when you’re writing poems; the rest of the time you’re a citizen.” It’s dangerous to apply terms like ‘artist’ or ‘genius’ too liberally, as they distract from the real work being done, the invention. I would avoid a word like ‘artist’ altogether, except insofar as it implies someone who creates problems, rather than solves them, who makes things more difficult to see, who slows our ability to reach a decision, and complicates our lives. Photo by Marion Ettlinger.