I like to write sad songs. They're much easier to write and you get a lot more emotion into them. But people don't want to hear them as much. And radio definitely doesn't they want that positive uptempo thing.

As writers and readers as sinners and citizens our realism and our aesthetic sense make us wary of crediting the positive note.

But you cannot expect every writer to dwell on human suffering. I think my books do deal with grave issues. People who say they are too positive probably haven't read them.

We don't tend to write about disease in fiction - not just teen novels but all American novels - because it doesn't fit in with our idea of the heroic romantic epic. There is room only for sacrifice heroism war politics and family struggle.

If we tried to write about politics you'd realize that we're all a bunch of idiots.

Broadcasters or politicians or writers who think that they are respecting Struggle Street the battlers by dumbing things down into one-line sound bites are not respecting them they are treating them with contempt. It's our job above all in politics to tackle the big issues and to explain them.

I hate politics. I like to write about it but to get involved in it to try and make a lot of ignorant people do what you want them to do waste of time. Go and write a book. It's more important and it'll last longer.

I'm not the guy to ask about politics. I'm a gag writer.

And you don't want to always write about politics just for the sake of writing about politics.

I must not write a word to you about politics because you are a woman.

Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book.

I know many writers who first dictate passages then polish what they have dictated. I speak then I polish - occasionally I do windows.

I write poetry in order to live more fully.

I'm looking for a guy who makes you want to dance and write poetry all day long.

Who writes poetry imbibes honey from the poisoned lips of life.

Women who are inclined to write poetry at all are inspired by being mad at something.

The urge to write poetry is like having an itch. When the itch becomes annoying enough you scratch it.

Well I write a lot of poetry - that's where it usually all starts. I definitely want to show you guys sides of me - love loss heartbreak - all of that good stuff!

Well I guess the plan was to write poetry and publish books and make a living from writing poetry. That was a pretty ambitious plan I guess.

Well I like to write poetry. I'm a published poet.

All I knew about Ethiopia was from a few records that I like as well as what I read about the famine. But you get there and it's another world. It's filled with art and music and poetry and intellectuals and writers - all kinds of people.

Well if this is poetry I'm certainly never going to write any myself.

Poetry says the things that I can't say. I read a lot but I never write it.

I love to write poetry.