Many people remember that spirit that President Kennedy summoned forth. Many people look to me as somebody who embodies that sense of possibility..

It is not easy to stand up against your constituents or your friends or colleagues or your community and take a tough stand for something you believe….

I grew up in New York, I love New York..

In a funny way, poems are suited to modern life. They're short, they're intense. Nobody has time to read a 700-page book. People read magazines, and ….

I enjoy writing. I enjoy that kind of process..

In my family in particular, I think, there was a sense we have to work twice as hard..

One of the greatest gifts my brother and I received from my mother was her love of literature and language. With their boundless energy, libraries op….

I think one of my father's great legacies is the people that he inspired and the generation that he inspired transformed America through civil rights….

I grew up in a household where reading was encouraged. My mother believed in the power of words, and my father obviously did too..

My mother ... had a very deep inner spirituality that allowed her to rebuild her life. It's extraordinary that she had such a strong sense of self an….

Well I've been writing books. So that, by its nature, is kind of a solitary occupation. And from time to time I have research help, but mostly I've d….

To the extent that we are all educated and informed, we will be more equipped to deal with the gut issues that tend to divide us..

John and I were lucky because our mother was a strong woman with high expectations and a strong sense of values. She encouraged us to pursue things w….

We need a President who is not afraid of complexity, who believes in an open and tolerant society, and who knows that the world can be made new again….

Most of the books that I've written have been focused on, sort of, the individual, and sort of, either a voice, a personal voice, or a kind of transf….

When you're going through something, whether it's a wonderful thing like having a child or a sad thing like losing somebody, you often feel like 'Oh ….

I've campaigned for people. I've campaigned across the country for people. I have supported people in local elections. I do work with groups and caus….

Well, the role of money in politics is pretty corrupting right now..

The amazing thing about the winners is that none of them really felt that they were doing anything special. They just felt like it was the right thin….

I can’t stand to hear his [Obama’s] voice anymore. He’s a liar, and worse..

Poetry is really a way of sharing feelings and ideas..