LA: You said that you tend to like people that read poetry. What characteristics do you think reading poetry develops in people?
SD: I think poetry essentially sensitizes you to the abuses and pleasures and delicacies of the world. It makes you more alert. But a heightened consciousness is often difficult to live with. There’s no going back from what you know. It’s why poets often find themselves living on the edge. It’s an exciting and problematical place to be.
— Interview with the poet, Stephen Dunn, LA Review of Books