The sharpest memory of our old-fashioned Christmas eve is my mother's hand making sure I was settled in bed. Paul Engle bedchristmaseve Change image and share on social
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. Paul Engle ageantiquebell Change image and share on social
Contrary to slanderous Eastern opinion, much of Iowa is not flat, but rolling hills country with a lot of timber, a handsome and imaginative landscape, crowded with constant small changes of scene and full of little creeks winding with pools where shiners, crappies and catfish hover. Paul Engle catfishconstantcontrary share on social
When your first marriage goes into tragedy, you become very battle-scarred... I even thought of suicide. Luckily, I had known some happy marriages. Paul Engle battlehappyluckily Change image and share on social
To eat in the same room where food is cooked - that is the way to thank the Lord for His abundance. Paul Engle abundancecookeat Change image and share on social
I have published in 'The New Yorker,' 'Holiday,' 'Life,' 'Mademoiselle,' 'American Heritage,' 'Horizon,' 'The Ladies Home Journal,' 'The Kenyon Review,' 'The Sewanee Review,' 'Poetry,' 'Botteghe Oscure,' the 'Atlantic Monthly,' 'Harper's.' Paul Engle americanatlanticbotteghe share on social
I knew about holiness, never having missed a Sunday-school class since I started at four years. But if Jews were also religious, how could our neighbor with the grease-grimy shirt use the word 'damn' about them? Paul Engle classdamngrease share on social
The way to praise a poet is to write a poem. Paul Engle poempoetpraise Change image and share on social
Touch was important. The evening of the Third of July we would go around the neighborhood and look at the fireworks others had bought, taking them out of the brown paper sack and handling them cautiously as if they were precious stones. There was envy when we saw sacks with more in them than we had. Paul Engle brownbuycautiously share on social