SOURCE: "Exploding Myths: An Interview with Sonia Sanchez," in Parnassus, Vol. 12, No. 2, and Vol. 13, No. 1, Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter, 1985, pp. 357-68.

In the following interview, Sanchez discusses her poetry and the development of her career.

[Leibowitz:] Do you think there is a feminine sensibility which differs conspicuously from that of the male?

[Sanchez:] Yes. Women are quite different from men in what they feel and think and how they view the world. I use feminine imagery which is drawn from ancient cultures. I use words like Olokun—she is the goddess of the sea—so that people understand when we're talking about the sea that we're talking about women. I use Oshun and Yémaya who are the female riverain goddesses. Some of these goddesses use bells to announce, resoundingly, their teachings. From the pine tree to water reflecting water, a lot of my poetry expresses what it...