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Norman MacCaig Quotes

Anybody who writes doesn’t like to be misunderstood Picture Quote #1

When I talk of hearing a poet’s voice speaking, I always think of it as in the presence of the man Picture Quote #1

Well, I love fishing. I wouldn’t kill a fly myself but I’ve no hesitation in killing a fish. A lot of men are like that. No bother. Out you come. Thump. And that’s not the only reason Picture Quote #1

In some ways I’m a reticent man, and for quite a number of years there wasn’t very much of my real true deep feelings in my writing Picture Quote #1

There are some friends you don’t meet for twenty years and when you meet them again it’s as if no twenty years has happened - you’re lucky when that happens. I feel the same about books Picture Quote #1

It’s like breathing in and out to me. It’s like having a conversation with someone who isn’t there. Because it has to be addressed to somebody - not a particular person, or very rarely Picture Quote #1

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But I hang on to books. I love them. I even think they’re very nice decor in a room - far better than paintings... That’s not quite true! Picture Quote #1

And some poets are far better read off the page because they’re very bad speakers. I’m thinking of one in particular whom I won’t name, a good poet, and he reads in such a dry, boring way, your eyes start drooping Picture Quote #1

And in a way, that’s been a help to me, because I take great passions for a particular poet - sometimes it lasts for many years, sometimes only for a while. This happens to everybody Picture Quote #1

When I was asked to be Writer in Residence at Edinburgh I thought, you can’t teach poetry. This is ridiculous Picture Quote #1

I was very interested in American poetry for many years. Much less now Picture Quote #1

I just didn’t want to shoot other people Picture Quote #1

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Well, I’m a light traveller. I chuck things away Picture Quote #1

I’m very gregarious, but I love being in the hills on my own Picture Quote #1

I don’t think of myself all the time Picture Quote #1

I said I have no powers of invention. Well, I also have no powers of mimicry Picture Quote #1

All those authors there, most of whom of course I've never met. That's the poetry side, that's the prose side, that's the fishing and miscellaneous behind me. You get an affection for books that you've enjoyed Picture Quote #1

And if they haven't got poetry in them, there's nothing you can do that will produce it Picture Quote #1

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However, I learned something. I thought that if the young person, the student, has poetry in him or her, to offer them help is like offering a propeller to a bird Picture Quote #1

When I was a teacher, teachers would come into my classroom and admire my desk on which lay nothing whatever, whereas theirs were heaped with papers and books Picture Quote #1

I don’t care whether a book is a first edition or not. I’m not a bibliophile in that word’s natural sense Picture Quote #1

I only keep books that I like very much. Otherwise I’d throw them out Picture Quote #1

Well, I love fishing. I wouldn’t kill a fly myself but I’ve no hesitation in killing a fish. A lot of men are like that. No bother. Out you come. Thump. And that’s not the only reason Picture Quote #1

If I wrote a play with four characters every single one of them would talk like me regardless of age or sex Picture Quote #1

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Who owns this landscape? the millionaire who bought it or the poacher staggering downhill in the morning with a deer on his back? Picture Quote #1

All I write about is what’s happened to me and to people I know, and the better I know them, the more likely they are to be written about Picture Quote #1

A terrible thing about getting oldish is that your friends start dying, and in the last ten years I have lost seven or eight of my closest Picture Quote #1

People haven’t got the interest in long long works these days. A lack of interest which I share Picture Quote #1

In some ways I’m a reticent man, and for quite a number of years there wasn’t very much of my real true deep feelings in my writing Picture Quote #1

When I talk of hearing a poet’s voice speaking, I always think of it as in the presence of the man Picture Quote #1

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Friendship Quotes

Motivational Quotes

Inspirational Quotes

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Text Quotes

Anybody who writes doesn’t like to be misunderstood (Norman MacCaig Quotes) When I talk of hearing a poet’s voice speaking, I always think of it as in the presence of the man. (Norman MacCaig Quotes) Well, I love fishing. I wouldn’t kill a fly myself but I’ve no hesitation in killing a fish. A lot of men are like that. No bother. Out you come. Thump. And that’s not the only reason. (Norman MacCaig Quotes) In some ways I’m a reticent man, and for quite a number of years there wasn’t very much of my real true deep feelings in my writing. (Norman MacCaig Quotes) There are some friends you don’t meet for twenty years and when you meet them again it’s as if no twenty years has happened - you’re lucky when that happens. I feel the same about books (Norman MacCaig Quotes) It’s like breathing in and out to me. It’s like having a conversation with someone who isn’t there. Because it has to be addressed to somebody - not a particular person, or very rarely (Norman MacCaig Quotes) But I hang on to books. I love them. I even think they’re very nice decor in a room - far better than paintings... That’s not quite true! (Norman MacCaig Quotes) And some poets are far better read off the page because they’re very bad speakers. I’m thinking of one in particular whom I won’t name, a good poet, and he reads in such a dry, boring way, your eyes start drooping (Norman MacCaig Quotes) And in a way, that’s been a help to me, because I take great passions for a particular poet - sometimes it lasts for many years, sometimes only for a while. This happens to everybody (Norman MacCaig Quotes) When I was asked to be Writer in Residence at Edinburgh I thought, you can’t teach poetry. This is ridiculous (Norman MacCaig Quotes) I was very interested in American poetry for many years. Much less now (Norman MacCaig Quotes) I just didn’t want to shoot other people (Norman MacCaig Quotes) Well, I’m a light traveller. I chuck things away (Norman MacCaig Quotes) I’m very gregarious, but I love being in the hills on my own (Norman MacCaig Quotes) I don’t think of myself all the time (Norman MacCaig Quotes) I said I have no powers of invention. Well, I also have no powers of mimicry (Norman MacCaig Quotes) All those authors there, most of whom of course I've never met. That's the poetry side, that's the prose side, that's the fishing and miscellaneous behind me. You get an affection for books that you've enjoyed (Norman MacCaig Quotes) And if they haven't got poetry in them, there's nothing you can do that will produce it (Norman MacCaig Quotes) However, I learned something. I thought that if the young person, the student, has poetry in him or her, to offer them help is like offering a propeller to a bird (Norman MacCaig Quotes) When I was a teacher, teachers would come into my classroom and admire my desk on which lay nothing whatever, whereas theirs were heaped with papers and books (Norman MacCaig Quotes) I don’t care whether a book is a first edition or not. I’m not a bibliophile in that word’s natural sense (Norman MacCaig Quotes) I only keep books that I like very much. Otherwise I’d throw them out (Norman MacCaig Quotes) Well, I love fishing. I wouldn’t kill a fly myself but I’ve no hesitation in killing a fish. A lot of men are like that. No bother. Out you come. Thump. And that’s not the only reason (Norman MacCaig Quotes) If I wrote a play with four characters every single one of them would talk like me regardless of age or sex (Norman MacCaig Quotes) Who owns this landscape? the millionaire who bought it or the poacher staggering downhill in the morning with a deer on his back? (Norman MacCaig Quotes) All I write about is what’s happened to me and to people I know, and the better I know them, the more likely they are to be written about (Norman MacCaig Quotes) A terrible thing about getting oldish is that your friends start dying, and in the last ten years I have lost seven or eight of my closest (Norman MacCaig Quotes) People haven’t got the interest in long long works these days. A lack of interest which I share (Norman MacCaig Quotes) In some ways I’m a reticent man, and for quite a number of years there wasn’t very much of my real true deep feelings in my writing (Norman MacCaig Quotes) When I talk of hearing a poet’s voice speaking, I always think of it as in the presence of the man (Norman MacCaig Quotes)

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