Norman MacCaig

When I talk of hearing a poet's voice speaking, I always think of it as in the presence of the man.

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!

There are some friends you don't meet for twenty years and when you meet them again it's as if no twenty years has happened - you're lucky when that happens. I feel the same about books.

Another thing that freaks me out is time. Time is like a book. You have a beginning, a middle and an end. It's just a cycle.

I have thrown chairs, but only during football matches. Generally, I am well-behaved. I do not like to make people angry.