I Was Appointed Poet Laureate. It Came

I Was Apprehensive. I Feared Every Time I Talked About Poetry, It Would Be Filtered Through The Lens Of Race, Sex, And Age.

I've Always Felt That The Poems I've Written Which Have Historical Context Are Hopefully Not Just Simply Plucking Something Out Of History And Saying Great, Let's Write About That. In Every Case What Has Happened Is That I've Become Fascinated Or Haunted By Something And Couldn't Shake It.

Going To The Library Was The One Place We Got To Go Without Asking For Permission. And They Let Us Choose What We Wanted To Read. It Was A Feeling Of Having A Book Be Mine Entirely.

We Should Always Do Something That Makes Us Feel Like A Child Again. Keep Learning, No Matter What It Is.

My Inspiration Comes From Everywhere, Just Walking Down The Street And I Never Know Where It's Going To Come From, So I Keep A Notebook With Me At All Times And The Only Criteria For Anything Making It Into That Notebook Is If It Stops Me In My Tracks For Even An Instant, If It Catches My Eye Or My Ear And I Just Write It Down.