“Art is action. The way I live my life to its highest degree is by writing, the practice of art.”

“...talk is an art and a pleasure, not a matter of mere use and need.”

“I think the mystery of art lies in this, that artists’ relationship is essentially with their work — not with power, not with profit, not with themselves, not even with their audience.”

“A writer is a person who cares what words mean, what they say, how they say it. Writers know words are their way towards truth and freedom, and so they use them with care, with thought, with fear, with delight. By using words well they strengthen their souls. Story-tellers and poets spend their lives learning that skill and art of using words well. And their words make the souls of their readers stronger, brighter, deeper.”

“Do you know how to read?' 'No. It is one of the black arts.' He nodded. 'But a useful one,' he said.”

“The art of one's own time tends to be formidable . . . because we have to learn how and where to take hold of it, what response is being asked of us, before we can get involved. It's truly new, and therefore truly a bit frightening.”

“The first thing I can remember clearly is writing the way into the secret room.”