Our most famous writers are Faulkner and Eudora Welty and Flannery O'Connor. It would make sense that the poetry would reflect some of those same values some of the same techniques.
What influenced me was Tori Amos who was unapologetic about expressing anger through music and Sinead O'Connor. Those two in particular were really moving for me and very inspiring before I wrote 'Jagged Little Pill.'
One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth is in the possession of others can use neither his knowledge nor wealth when the need for them arises.