There is this concept of politics as a dirty game. It's a difficult game but it doesn't have to be dirty. I think this is what we need to bring to politics. I think politics around the world has very often been captured by big interests - 'lobbies' they call them in the States.

I don't want to be a politician. I don't like politics. It's petty it fights dirty.

We tend to think of politics as bad full of dirty tricks negative ads big campaigns but I am here to explore the original meaning of politics which is positive and has to do with balancing competing interests and looking for solutions.

If American politics are too dirty for women to take part in there's something wrong with American politics.

Once the cry and the cause of a generation of progressives to make America safer fairer and cleaner 'regulation' is now a dirty word in our politics. Even Democrats are quick to talk about cutting regulations Republicans hate them with - how to put it? - evangelical fervor.

The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river.

And I know I'm supposed to feel guilty for wanting people to buy my books... and books in general? Novels and poetry they belong to the realm of art. How dirty of us to try to hawk art! But after a decade of hand-wringing and apologies I can't quite muster the guilt anymore.

When I was in college I used to write little ditties and short stories and poetry for my friends. Writing a book is another thing. It is so much different from my traditional day of dirty fingernails and greasy hair and hot pans.

We can't blame children for occupying themselves with Facebook rather than playing in the mud. Our society doesn't put a priority on connecting with nature. In fact too often we tell them it's dirty and dangerous.

I've found that if you wear a beret people think you're either a cabdriver or a producer of dirty movies.