Billy Collins

(from 1999): As I’m writing, I’m always reader conscious. I have one reader in mind, someone who is in the room with me, and who I’m talking to, and I want to make sure I don’t talk too fast, or too glibly. Usually I try to create a hospitable tone at the beginning of a poem. Stepping from the title to the first lines is like stepping into a canoe. A lot of things can go wrong.

(from 2004): Moving from the position of United States poet laureate to New York State poet laureate might seem like a demotion or a drop in rank to the military-minded. It might even appear that I am heading toward eventually being crowned laureate of my ZIP code. But in fact, it is very gratifying to be honored again as a representative of poetry, this time by my native state where I grew up — more or less — and continue to live.

Paul Klee

“Art does not reproduce the visible, it makes visible,”

Lucian Freud

More Charlie Rose goodness

Lucian’s art dealer and friend (art critic) were so adorable talking about their friend. Their affection was infectious. Maybe people just get giddy about talking about flesh.

The dealer complained about posing
how SLOW and long a portrait takes  
(Lucian mixes a new color for every stroke! )
and then said it wasn’t EVEN done yet
so he had to go back for ANOTHER two week stretch
———-and then said  “I loved every minute of it.”

Lucian, at 80, is evidently in love with a horse.

He has to wear silk ski underwear and drive out with assistant for 45 minutes to visit his love

Lucian says he never goes out but that isn’t quite true.

How did young Lucian differentiate the sex of an eel? Asked his grandfather.

Nora Ephron

My new plan of action is to only watch TV when I’m on my hamster wheel. Last night, I was super lucky to see Nora Ephron on the Charlie Rose Show

Inspired I looked up her blog.

What’s the anatomy of a good story? Charming parts….

grass-fed steaks, key lime pie, eating at the same restaurant two nights in a row, Wynn’s elbow, pride about holding a secret (when you already really told one person ) and and restraining yourself from taking a picture at the scene of the accident

My Weekend in Vegas

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nora-ephron/my-weekend-in-vegas_b_31800.html