I think Im a very good reader of poetry, but obviously, like everybody, I have a set of criteria for reading poems, and Im not shy about presenting them, so if people ask for my critical response to a poem, I tell them what works and why, and what doesnt work and why. – Diane Wakoski
American poetry, like American painting, is always personal with an emphasis on the individuality of the poet. – Diane Wakoski
PC stuff just lowers the general acceptance of good work and replaces it with bogus poetry that celebrates values that in themselves are probably quite worthy. – Diane Wakoski
I think one of the things that language poets are very involved with is getting away from conventional ideas of beauty, because those ideas contain a certain attitude toward women, certain attitudes toward sex, certain attitudes toward race, etc. – Diane Wakoski
You pick up loads of baggage with your first record with reaction to it from fans and critics. So I went to Ireland by myself for a couple of weeks with my guitar. I read lots of poetry, I read Patti Smiths autobiography and started words and phrases and then songs started to take shape. – Ellie Goulding