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.

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.

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

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.

We had a great time hanging out with the nerdy girls of that suite and pretending to be so depressed and in pain. The problem was, you were never pretending

Why is it that human beings are allowed to grow up without the necessary apparatus to make sound ethical decisions?

When you can't make it, just fake it

It's much better when I go out with my mates and we stop talking about me like I'm some sort of egomaniac. It's great when we can just have a drink.

Good novels are not written by orthodoxy-sniffers, nor by people who are conscience-stricken about their own unorthodoxy. Good novels are written by people who are not frightened.

I don't mean to be highfalutin about it, but I try to limit my visibility.

I'm very proud to be Canadian, but I would move to New York in a heartbeat.

Never choose the easy path. Choose the one that has morals

The surest sign that God is alive in you is joy.

Black and white are absolute...expressing the most delicate vibration, the most profound tranquility, and unlimited profundity.