I HATED the Salinger story. It took me days to go through it, gingerly, a page at a time, and blushing with embarrassment for him every ridiculous sentence of the way. How can they let him do it?

Being a poet is one of the unhealthier jobs--no regular hours, so many temptations!

All my life I have lived and behaved very much like the sandpiper - just running down the edges of different countries and continents, 'looking for something'.

The art of losing isn't hard to master; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

If after I read a poem the world looks like that poem for 24 hours or so I'm sure it's a good one—and the same goes for paintings.

What one seems to want in art, in experiencing it, is the same thing that is necessary for its creation, a self-forgetful, perfectly useless concentration.

I am overcome by my own amazing sloth...Can you please forgive me and believe that it is really because I want to do something well that I don't do it at all?

Sometimes it seemsas though only intelligent people are stupid enough to fall in love & only stupid people are intelligent enough to let themselves be loved.

All the untidyactivity continues, awful but cheerful.

Democracy in the contemporary world demands, among other things, an educated and informed people.

Oh, must we dream our dreams and have them, too?

I stared you chew down your Swedish meatballs. I hope you could see how you chewed my heart then spit it out

Oh, how we could blossom if we didn't have to fight to the death to merely exist!

Whereever you are in life, however old you are, begin thinking about every day as the first day of your life.

Tune into your own capacities and always make time for sleep

There are few more impressive sights in the world than a Scotsman on the make.

My only ambition was to create an honest picture that would interpret nature as she really is, as she ought to be seen.

The painting is usually finished before you are.

Do not develop jealousy, hatred or envy on any count.

All things atrocious and shameless flock from all parts to Rome.

I'm a huge fan of James Dean, that got me started. Nowadays I smoke four packs in a day.