And the second question, can poetry be taught? I didn't think so. Norman MacCaig More Quotes by Norman MacCaig More Quotes From Norman MacCaig I never think about poetry except when I'm writing it. I mean my poetry. Norman MacCaig writingmeanthinking I don't think of myself all the time. Norman MacCaig thinking Well, I'm a light traveller. I chuck things away. Norman MacCaig chucklightliterature I'm very gregarious, but I love being in the hills on my own. Norman MacCaig hillsnaturelove-is 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 true-lovenicebook If I wrote a play with four characters every single one of them would talk like me regardless of age or sex. Norman MacCaig playcharactersex 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 careliteraturebook 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 paperteacherbook Anybody who writes doesn't like to be misunderstood. Norman MacCaig misunderstoodliteraturewriting 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 passionliteratureyears And it's impossible for me to read Henry James. Norman MacCaig literatureimpossible 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 eyenamesthinking But you'd have a job to find many of my poems which would seem to be very influenced by a particular person. Norman MacCaig personsliteraturejobs I used to fish the Border rivers, but nowadays you have to queue up for a shot and I can't stand that. Norman MacCaig fish-tanksbordersrivers And if they haven't got poetry in them, there's nothing you can do that will produce it. Norman MacCaig nothingwillyoupoetry I find it's impossible for me to read Proust. Norman MacCaig readfindmeimpossible
