I grew up in the prolonged survival of the great age of the horse, with harness and saddle and sleigh bells and horse pictures, not as antiques but the facts of our lives.

Poetry is ordinary language raised to the Nth power. Poetry is boned with ideas, nerved and blooded with emotions, all held together by the delicate, tough skin of words.

A barn with cattle and horses is the place to begin Christmas; after all, that's where the original event happened, and that same smell was the first air that the Christ Child breathed.

The sharpest memory of our old-fashioned Christmas eve is my mother's hand making sure I was settled in bed.

Wisdom is knowing when you can't be wise.

Poetry is ordinary language raised to the Nth power.

Verse is not written, it is bled; Out of the poet's abstract head. Words drip the poem on the page; Out of his grief, delight and rage.

Other families bought automobiles; we had a horse-headed hitching post in front of our house and drove horses.

Without vision you don't see, and without practicality the bills don't get paid.

Writing is rewriting what you have rewritten.

Corncobs are the greatest fire-making tinder.

The shrewd may gain temporarily, but the wise gain permanently.

One cannot live on anger, my son.

I have been very happy very rich very beautiful much adulated very famous and very unhappy.

do not worry about these things. find peace in where and what you are ~saphira to eragon page 429

There is something wonderful about coming to terms with time - that it is finite. You want to have as much joy in your life as possible, and you take responsibility for your own joy.

We now know 600 different genes involved in cancer - giving rise to new drug targets.

I kill kings and presidents first, and next all capitalists.

Women will be saved by going back to that role that God has chosen for them. Ladies, if the hair on the back of your neck stands up it is because you are fighting your role in the scripture.

With the responsibility of being a professional athlete, I believe that it is on us to go out there and help people.

Mother sighed with exasperation. "Look, there aren't any "people in charge of death". When you die you move to another part of London, that's all there is to it. Period.