“Long Distance II Though my mother was already two years dead Dad kept her slippers warming by the gas, put hot water bottles her side of the bed and still went to renew her transport pass. You couldn’t just drop… — Tony Harrison Copy Share Image
For me, there is a paradox in poetry, which is like the paradox in tragedy. You have the most terrible subject, but it's in… — Tony Harrison Copy Share
Why shouldn't poetry address what happened yesterday and be published in the newspaper? — Tony Harrison Copy Share
I love being on the road with others, with a camera, but also being alone writing poetry. — Tony Harrison Copy Share
“Smokers of the world unite! On t'count o' three, all light up, right? 1-2-3... You've all been cowed. I've changed the law and it's… — Tony Harrison Copy Share
A lot of my activity in the theatre, and even in writing poems, was a kind of retrospective aggro on the English teacher who… — Tony Harrison Copy Share
I hate the anglicanisation of culture, the idea that culture is genteel. It's not genteel. — Tony Harrison Copy Share
Not becoming 'something' scares me the most. I just want to be remembered for something great. — Tony Harrison Copy Share
I think it's the tendency to want to create gods and monotheistic absolutes and absolute certainties that is the continual temptation in human thought… — Tony Harrison Copy Share
There's a kind of despair about whether art can really do anything, but you have to incorporate that despair into the way you work.… — Tony Harrison Copy Share
I really admire the great Japanese artists who could change their name three times in a lifetime. You could get rid of one and… — Tony Harrison Copy Share
I've written on public matters, but I don't understand how anyone could tout me as a possible poet laureate when I wrote a poem… — Tony Harrison Copy Share
I wanted to learn Latin and Greek and become a poet and acquire power over language. I only understand this clearly in retrospect, that… — Tony Harrison Copy Share
