If You Read Good Books, When You

The First Thing Is How Awful Cancer Was, The Experience. When You First Go Through It, You're Just Trying To Survive. But When I Wrote About It, I Really Digested It. It Was Unbearable But I Had Practice Behind Me.

Poems Are Taught As Though The Poet Has Put A Secret Key In His Words And It Is The Reader's Job To Find It. Poems Are Not Mystery Novels.

Trust In What You Love, Continue To Do It, And It Will Take You Where You Need To Go. And Don't Worry Too Much About Security. You Will Eventually Have A Deep Security When You Begin To Do What You Want.

Katagiri Roshi Says: "poor Artists. They Suffer Very Much. They Finish A Masterpiece And They Are Not Satisfied. They Want To Go On And Do Another." Yes, But It's Better To Go On And Do Another If You Have The Urge Than To Start Drinking And Become Alcoholic Or Eat A Pound Of Good Fudge And Get Fat.

[t]he One Thing I Want For You Is To Recognize When You Are Really Singing In Writing Practice And Honor That. Trust That. When You Were Screaming On The Page. Maybe That Doesn't Make A Whole Book But That Is The True Seed.