The first function of poetry is to tell the truth to learn how to do that to find out what you really feel and what you really think.

So I really began as a failed poet - although when I first wanted to be a writer I learned to write prose by reading poetry.

In fact a lot of them I think are absolute baloney. Those Charles Olsens and people like that. At first I was interested in seeing what they were up to what they were doing why they were doing it. They never moved me in the way that one is moved by true poetry.

For my part if I consider poetry as an object I maintain that it is born of the necessity of adding a vocal sound (speech) to the hammering of the first tribal music.

I've written poetry since I was in the first grade and it wasn't until I was a little bit older that I realized poetry could be put to music and become a song.

I never thought I'd be doing poetry books. I never really studied poetry. But the first one I did was after my mother died and I realized that people sort of think and talk about her style and fashion but in fact what made her the person she was was really her love of reading and ideas.

You pick up loads of baggage with your first record with reaction to it from fans and critics. So I went to Ireland by myself for a couple of weeks with my guitar. I read lots of poetry I read Patti Smith's autobiography and started words and phrases and then songs started to take shape.

I think there's something great and generic about goldfish. They're everybody's first pet.

President George W. Bush is the first American president to call openly for two-states Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security.

The first thing I see is the obligation to serve peace.