The summer I got to Pittsburgh for graduate school, I house-sat for a Ph.D. student who had a lot of books. One of the books that I found was 'Lolita' by Vladimir Nabokov. That was eye opening. I've probably read it every other year since my 20s. Terrance Hayes 20sbookeye share on social
Every contemporary poet is a door to another poet. Terrance Hayes contemporarydoorpoet Change image and share on social
Poets are like the decathletes of literature. Terrance Hayes decathleteliteraturepoet Change image and share on social
While the debate over banned books usually seems to happen just outside the gates of government, it takes on a new danger and urgency when legislators get involved. Their actions cause voices to be silenced both inside and outside the books. That's un-American. Terrance Hayes actionamericanban share on social
Language is always burdened by thought. Terrance Hayes burdenlanguagethink Change image and share on social
We can't really know ourselves because we have not created ourselves. But we can know computers, we can know cars, because anything that we made, we can understand. Terrance Hayes carcomputercreate Change image and share on social
Poems are not read: they are reread. Reread the poem, then read between the lines, then look at it, then watch it, then peek at it: handle it like an object. Contemplate its shadows, angles and dimensions. Terrance Hayes anglecontemplatedimension share on social
The thing that I've decided is, I don't want to be invisible, but I'd like to be transparent. I want people to see what I'm thinking and see through me. Terrance Hayes decidehaveinvisible Change image and share on social
Art is not the kind of thing where you get what you put into it all the time. So I learned to not expect anything other than the sort of joy of having a poem in front of me. Terrance Hayes artexpectfront Change image and share on social
I always turn to Frank O'Hara and David Berman's 'Actual Air,' which came out in 1999. He's a poet I haven't tired of. Terrance Hayes actualairberman Change image and share on social
