“Humor has the ability to bring pleasure and then surprise us with something more. Often, difficult or controversial subjects require a backdoor approach, and humor can be the backdoor. I like dark humor, of course, and dry humor. I grew up in Minnesota, where both are important, and I often say that Minnesotans are happiest when no one else gets their joke, so maybe that is the sort of humor I like best in my writing, the sort that seems funny only to me.” Full Interview

“When I was young, I would write Very Sad Poems, and then the occasional essay in which a whole other side of my personality would come out—sarcastic, playful. People responded to those prose pieces. I realized an artificial divide in the two voices did not serve me. I’ve read a lot of poems at open mics over the years, and a punchline is one thing that can cut through a noisy bar crowd. You have to get them listening before you can break their hearts.” Full Interview