"If you want to know why the coast is such an inspirational place, ask Herman Melville, Jack London, ..." — John Cooper Clarke

I was pushing for a career in poetry and of course the received wisdom was that you would never make a living at it.

I went to what can only be described as a slum school in Salford - rough and full of trainee punks - but I was very lucky in that I had one inspiring teacher, John Malone, who gave the whole class an interest in romantic poetry.

I had a million jobs before I managed to make a living out of poetry.

Happiness is the target one only has to aim at in order to miss.