All there is to writing is having ideas. To learn to write is to learn to have ideas.

Writing free verse is like playing tennis with the net down.

When marrying you should ask yourself this question: do you believe you are going to enjoy talking with this woman into your old age? Everything else in a marriage is transitory, but most of the time that you're together will be devoted to conversation.

Writing is about a blank piece of paper and leaving out what's not supposed to be there.

It was great fun writing a book.... It built an impalpable crystal sphere around one of interests and ideas. In a sense one felt like a goldfish in a bowl; but in this case the goldfish made his own bowl. This came along everywhere with me. It never got knocked about in travelling, and there was never a moment when agreeable occupation was lacking. Either the glass had to be polished, or the structure extended or contracted, or the walls required strengthening.

I feel devoutly thankful to have been born fond of writing.