“I can remember, I think it was 1967, sitting in the First Unitarian Church in Isla Vista, Santa Barbara, and seeing Phil Levine come out on the little stage. He sat on the edge and said, "You know, sometimes it's hard not to hate my country for the way I feel, at times, but I won't let that happen." And then he read, "They Feed They Lion," this incredibly powerful, incantatory poem that was inspired in part by the burning of Detroit in 1967 and the riots that followed.” ThinkingKnowsWayFeelsFirstsLittlesSaidI CanCountrySometimesHardHappensRememberHateChurchPowerfulSeeingStageSittingInspiredEdgesBurningSatLionsSantaRiotDetroitBarbaraVistasUnitarianSanta BarbaraUnitarian Church Author:Sam Hamill
“All I'd ever heard my entire life in my family was, "Nobody wanted you, and we took you in." When you get that into your head at a tender age, you really feel like you are an unlovable human being, and then you behave like one. That's exactly what I had done. It took me many years to deal with my own violence and find my own niche.” FeelsYearsHumansDoneAgeWantedMy OwnHuman BeingsDealsViolenceHeardLike YouMy FamilyBehaveNicheUnlovable Author:Sam Hamill
“That's one of those questions that would just love to have a pat answer. You know, poetry's job is to make us feel good. Poetry exists to allow us to express our innermost feelings. There isn't one role for poetry in society. There are many roles for poetry. I wrote a poem to seduce my wife. I wrote a poem when I asked her to marry me. Poetry got me laid. Poetry got me married.” KnowsFeelsFeelingsJobsAnswersRolesWifeMarriedMy WifeFeel GoodSeducingMarry MeGood Poetry Author:Sam Hamill
“I haven't seen any poet in this country behave nearly as rudely as Newt Gingrich or Bill O'Reilly. I'm not asking these people to approve of everyone's manners. I don't feel obliged to defend the manners of every poet who submits a poem to my web site. That's not my job. My job is to provide them with an opportunity to speak from the heart. If there's not much in the heart and if the mouth is running wild, that's not my problem.” PeopleIfsFeelsHeartCountryProblemRunningJobsOpportunitySpeakHavensPoetMouthsAskingBillsMannersBehaveSubmitSiteObligedNewtsBill O ReillyRunning WildSpeak From The Heart Author:Sam Hamill
