thoughts we thought that maybe we could start with um kind of a biographical question of sorts uh how would you how would you tell your own story uh your how would you tell the story of your own biography as a poet and uh when you when when did you know that you wanted to be to become a poet

That is an interesting question in my case.

I didn't, quote, want to be a poet at all.

I wanted to be a painter.

But I grew up in a literary house with a poet, novelist, critic father, and a very good, beautiful prose writing mother.

But I was drawing and painting from the age of three or so on very seriously.

I was also writing.

I wonder about, you know, the figure of the poet critic.