9 Quotes by John Metcalf

I wanted the press to become something of a movement. Not a movement committed to a particular "ism," but a gathering together of writers with an aesthetic approach to literature and with a lust for excellence.

Writers don't have to keep themselves honest. They have to keep themselves accurate.

We're going to respond to the Gulf within 72 hours. After a disaster, if you can get people rescued within 72 hours; they are far better off as far as getting them rescued without additional injury or illness or loss of life.

We felt it was our responsibility to do this as neighbors. These boats are big, industrial-looking boats that are used for duck hunting. They are very open and they can put stuff, people, pets, livestock or whatever they want in them.

I wanted to draw together into one place so many talented writers that we would achieve critical mass and explode upon Canadian society in a dazzling coruscation showering it with unquenchable brilliance.

I wanted to counter apathy and blandness. I wanted to shock homogenized minds with the experience of writing at high voltage. I wanted the press to assert relentlessly literature's importance. I wanted the press to be a national press and of national importance.

Taken up with Hugh and Clark swapping baseball trivia. Clark often detailed yet another financial reversal. On the day he told us his house had burned down, we all, I think, accepted the news as somehow unexciting and inevitable.

The Coast Guard only has about a couple dozen helicopters and they have rescued about 700 people already. Hopefully these boats can be put into place quickly. There's not much time to do these kinds of things if you want to save lives.

I wanted the press to become something of a movement. Not a movement committed to a particular 'ism', but a gathering together of writers with an aesthetic approach to literature and with a lust for excellence.