Norman MacCaig

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!

I don't care whether a book is a first edition or not. I'm not a bibliophile in that word's natural sense.

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

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

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.