I certainly can't speak for all cultures or all societies but it's clear that in America poetry serves a very marginal purpose. It's not part of the cultural mainstream.

Even if you only want to write science fiction you should also read mysteries poetry mainstream literature history biography philosophy and science.

My friends are mostly familiar with music that plays on the mainstream radio.

Look when I started out mainstream culture was Sinatra Perry Como Andy Williams Sound of Music. There was no fitting into it then and of course there's no fitting into it now.

I like to go from mainstream movies to more artsy films. I don't sign on for the money. Maybe I should but I don't. There's always a good reason for doing something.

It's so great in Hollywood now. You have people past 40 sitting and talking about serious stuff writing and making movies and TV but there's laser pistols and superheroes and alien monsters involved. It's viable and mainstream.

I didn't have any ambition to produce big mainstream popcorn movies.

Now if you're Al Gore you can afford $10 a pop for squiggly-pig-tailed fluorescent light bulbs. But if you're mainstream America two or three kids mom and dad working outside the home that's not a very good deal.

My own early crusade for same-sex marriage for example is now mainstream gay politics. It wasn't when I started.

Over the years the political establishment has frowned if a mainstream politician mentions marriage.