Writing can sometimes be exploitative. I like to take a few steps of remove in order to respect the privacy of the subject. If readers make the link, they have engaged with the poem. – John Barton
I have always been very obsessed with time. Times passage makes us all very vulnerable and because we all experience it in our own way, it can make us feel very alone. – John Barton
Sometimes poetry is inspired by the conversation entered into by reading other poems. – John Barton
Poetry is but another form of inquiry into the nature of phenomena, using with its own unique procedures and tools. – John Barton
I was raised Jewish, my wife was raised Catholic. Though we respect each others heritage, and while many of our friends are deeply religious, we have chosen to focus on our similarities, not our differences. We teach our children compassion, charity, honesty and the benefits of hard work. – Steven Levitan