You can have your own language. You can have your own dialect; you can have your own way of saying things, but if you don't actually understand the way the language fits together, it's chaos.

I found out Monday night. One of the assistant coaches called my house saying, 'Drop everything and get over here.' This is a great opportunity and I'm glad I was invited.

Being a parent means my time use has to be a bit more focused, but it also gives me a new non-writing dimension to my life, which is a healthy thing. I can't wander along for weeks with an idea drifting through my head - I have someone who will drag me back into life, and that's a good thing.

One of the most interesting female characters I've written about was Meg Riddoch, the lead character in 'The Thompson Gunner'.

The poet knows that he speaks adequately, then, only when he speaks somewhat wildly.

Then the part comes to me and it fits like a glove because it's actually written about me, ... All I had to do was show up and learn the lines.