Alfred Kazin Quotes

The writer writes in order to teach himself, to understand himself, to satisfy himself; the publishing of his ideas, though it brings gratification, is a curious anticlimax.

One writes to make a home for oneself, on paper, in time and in others' minds.

When a writer talks about his work, he's talking about a love affair.

If we practiced medicine like we practice education, we'd look for the liver on the right side and left side in alternate years.

History has become more important than ever because of the to unprecedented ability of the historical sciences to take in man's life on earth as a whole.

A classic is a book that survives the circumstances that made it possible yet alone keeps those circumstances alive.