“Is ‘vagina’ suitable for use in a sonnet? I don’t suppose so. A famous poet told me, ‘Vagina’s ugly.’ Meaning, of course, the sound of it. In poems. Meanwhile he inserts his penis frequently into his verse, calling it seriously,… — Joan Larkin Copy Share Image
Spanish and English have such different music, and in my own poetry I feel much less drawn to fluid sounds than I do toward… — Joan Larkin Copy Share
People need what they think of as a poem to be read at their bar mitzvah, their wedding, a funeral, whatever. And people are… — Joan Larkin Copy Share
I'm trying to stay open to the idea that the Internet is not the evil foe of publishing but the handmaiden that will turn… — Joan Larkin Copy Share
It takes courage to get clear about what your vision of the work is and to be persistent about it and pursue it, whatever… — Joan Larkin Copy Share
Teaching has given me a community that cares about poetry, and I'm grateful for that. — Joan Larkin Copy Share
I think translation is an impossible job, and I admire the people who do it in a way that brings poetry to us that… — Joan Larkin Copy Share
Rhythms and sounds are often the first thing I hear and want in a poem, so I can't imagine trying to translate something without… — Joan Larkin Copy Share
Poetry is a tree with very deep roots and while there may be excitement about this or that new little branch, you're not going… — Joan Larkin Copy Share
I love that people want to know about poetry. It's one of the ways of keeping alive. — Joan Larkin Copy Share
People want poetry and need it - we need what's not honored by the corporate mentality that has taken over. It gives people a… — Joan Larkin Copy Share
After I started publishing poetry I got to teach creative writing. Eventually I was promoted and even got tenure. But then I felt compelled… — Joan Larkin Copy Share
From the beginning. I was a poem-writing child. I wrote little novels in my composition book when I was eight, nine years old. — Joan Larkin Copy Share
I'm much more capable of cutting back than of expanding. I've gotten very surgical about poems. — Joan Larkin Copy Share
“Is ‘vagina’ suitable for use in a sonnet? I don’t suppose so. A famous poet told me, ‘Vagina’s ugly.’ Meaning, of course, the sound… — Joan Larkin Copy Share
