Well, I'm a light traveller. I chuck things away.

Quote by Norman MacCaig

Topics: Norman MacCaig Quotes

And some poets are far better read off the page because they're very bad speakers....

And some poets are far better read off the page because they're very bad speakers....

In fact a lot of them I think are absolute baloney. Those Charles Olsens and...

In fact a lot of them I think are absolute baloney. Those Charles Olsens and...

There are some friends you don't meet for twenty years and when you meet them...

There are some friends you don't meet for twenty years and when you meet them...

But you'd have a job to find many of my poems which would seem to...

But you'd have a job to find many of my poems which would seem to...

All those authors there, most of whom of course I've never met. That's the poetry...

All those authors there, most of whom of course I've never met. That's the poetry...

And in a way, that's been a help to me, because I take great passions...

And in a way, that's been a help to me, because I take great passions...

When I go fishing I like to know that there's nobody within five miles of...

When I go fishing I like to know that there's nobody within five miles of...

When I was a teacher, teachers would come into my classroom and admire my desk...

When I was a teacher, teachers would come into my classroom and admire my desk...

When I was asked to be Writer in Residence at Edinburgh I thought, you can't...

When I was asked to be Writer in Residence at Edinburgh I thought, you can't...

It's like breathing in and out to me. It's like having a conversation with someone...

It's like breathing in and out to me. It's like having a conversation with someone...

I'm very gregarious, but I love being in the hills on my own.

I'm very gregarious, but I love being in the hills on my own.

When I talk of hearing a poet's voice speaking, I always think of it as...

When I talk of hearing a poet's voice speaking, I always think of it as...

I was very interested in American poetry for many years. Much less now.

I was very interested in American poetry for many years. Much less now.

I don't think of myself all the time.

I don't think of myself all the time.

And it's impossible for me to read Henry James.

And it's impossible for me to read Henry James.

I used to have a great love for Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy, the big boys of...

I used to have a great love for Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy, the big boys of...

A terrible thing about getting oldish is that your friends start dying, and in the...

A terrible thing about getting oldish is that your friends start dying, and in the...

I used to fish the Border rivers, but nowadays you have to queue up for...

I used to fish the Border rivers, but nowadays you have to queue up for...

And if they haven't got poetry in them, there's nothing you can do that will...

And if they haven't got poetry in them, there's nothing you can do that will...

Anybody who writes doesn't like to be misunderstood.

Anybody who writes doesn't like to be misunderstood.