Half of the American people have never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half.

All the president is is a glorified public relations man who spends his time flattering kissing and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway.

Conservatives are not necessarily stupid but most stupid people are conservatives.

It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.

Poetry asks people to have values form opinions care about some other part of experience besides making money and being successful on the job.

This career essentially chased me down while I was on the spoken-word scene in New York. I kept hearing that my delivery of my poetry - which was very personal and cathartic at the time- was very moving to folks. People thought that I was an actress because of my delivery when I was just dropping into the work and really pouring out my soul.

I started off in England and very few people knew I was Australian. I mean the clues were in the poems but they didn't read them very carefully and so for years and years I was considered completely part of the English poetry scene.

Theater and poetry were what helped people stay alive and want to go on living.

What is poetry which does not save nations or people?

Too many people in the modern world view poetry as a luxury not a necessity like petrol. But to me it's the oil of life.

All I knew about Ethiopia was from a few records that I like as well as what I read about the famine. But you get there and it's another world. It's filled with art and music and poetry and intellectuals and writers - all kinds of people.

If I do a poetry reading I want people to walk out and say they feel better for having been there - not because you've done a comedy performance but because you're talking about your father dying or having young children things that touch your soul.

People who read poetry for example like the feel the heft and the smell of a book.

One can't write for all readers. A poet cannot write for people who don't like poetry.

People wish to be poets more than they wish to write poetry and that's a mistake. One should wish to celebrate more than one wishes to be celebrated.

When you're looking that far out you're giving people their place in the universe it touches people. Science is often visual so it doesn't need translation. It's like poetry it touches you.

Because people are very interested in my poetry in what I say.

There is the view that poetry should improve your life. I think people confuse it with the Salvation Army.

The other side of it is that despite all that people reach out to poetry at the key moments in their lives.

For whatever reason people including very well-educated people or people otherwise interested in reading do not read poetry.

My art and poetry is very political now. Because you've got to find that truth within you and express yourself. Somewhere out there I know there will be people who will listen.

Meet some people who care about poetry the way you do. You'll have that readership. Keep going until you know you're doing work that's worthy. And then see what happens. That's my advice.

So now I have a collection of poetry by Aaron Neville and I give it to people I want to share it with. I'd like to publish it someday.

Most people ignore most poetry because most poetry ignores most people.