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. Philip Levine advicecaremeet Change image and share on social
I'm afraid we live at the mercy of a power, maybe a God, without mercy. And yet we find it, as I have, from others. Philip Levine afraidfindgod Change image and share on social
Now I think poetry will save nothing from oblivion, but I keep writing about the ordinary because for me it's the home of the extraordinary, the only home. Philip Levine extraordinaryhomeoblivion Change image and share on social
There'll always be working people in my poems because I grew up with them, and I am a poet of memory. Philip Levine growmemorypeople Change image and share on social
No one can write like Vallejo and not sound like a fraud. He's just too much himself and not you. Philip Levine fraudsoundvallejo Change image and share on social
I listen to jazz about three hours a day. I love Louis Armstrong. Philip Levine armstrongdayhour Change image and share on social
I was very lucky to have a mother who encouraged me to become a poet. Philip Levine encourageluckymother Change image and share on social
For sure I once thought of myself as the poet who would save the ordinary from oblivion. Philip Levine oblivionordinarypoet Change image and share on social
But I'm too old to be written about as a young poet. Philip Levine poetwriteyoung Change image and share on social
If that voice that you created that is most alive in the poem isn't carried throughout the whole poem, then I destroy where it's not there, and I reconstruct it so that that voice is the dominant voice in the poem. Philip Levine alivecarrycreate share on social
