Don't write with a pen. Ink tends to give the impression the words shouldn't be changed.

You owe reality nothing and the truth about your feelings everything.

To write a poem you must have a streak of arrogance-- not in real life I hope. In real life try to be nice. It will save you a hell of a lot of trouble and give you more time to write.

A creative writing class may be one of the last places you can go where your life still matters.

Assuming you can write clear English sentences, give up all worry about communication. If you want to communicate, use the telephone.

An act of imagination is an act of self-acceptance.

Don't write love poems when you're in love. Write them when you're not in love.

Say nothing and just make music and you'll find plenty to say.

A good creative-writing teacher can save a good writer a lot of time.

Think small.... If you can't think small, try philosophy or social criticism.

Never want to say anything so strongly that you give up the option of finding something better. If you have to say it, you will.

If we learn the most by our mistakes the wise have the most failures. While the timid and unfailing will always be missing true knowledge and perspective.

This gulf war syndrome thing is truly unfortunate, and I've met some of the vets who have this. These are my guys, and I feel terrible about it.

God exists since mathematics is consistent, and the Devil exists since we cannot prove it.

Government health care changes the relationship between the citizen and the state, and, in fact, I think it's an assault on citizenship.

Prayer is not designed for the furnishing of God with the knowledge of what we need, but it is designed as a confession to him of our sense of need.

An artist must not feel under any constraint.

What has pleased and continues to please, is likely to please again; hence are derived the rules of art, and on this immovable foundation they must ever stand.

Probably the most neglected friend you have is you.

There's absolutely no reason for NATO to be sticking its fingers up the nostrils of Russia at every orifice. I mean, it's absurd. It's absolutely absurd.

Repeat mantra: Donuts are not vitamins, donuts are not.