When I took over the Writers' Workshop, it was one little class and there were eight students. All of them, brilliantly untalented... I had an absolute vision after the first workshop meeting. Paul Engle absolutebrilliantlyclass Change image and share on social
The years rolled their brutal course down the hill of time. Still poor, my clothes still smelling of the horse barn, still writing those doubtful poems where too much emotion clashed with too many words. Paul Engle barnbrutalclash share on social
There must be an alternative between Hollywood and New York, between those two places psychically as well as geographically. The University of Iowa tries to offer such a community, congenial to the young writer, with his uneasiness about writing as an honorable career, or with his excess of ego about calling himself a writer. Paul Engle alternativecallcareer share on social
A barn with cattle and horses is the place to begin Christmas; after all, that's where the original event happened, and that same smell was the first air that the Christ Child breathed. Paul Engle airbarnbegin Change image and share on social
I can still remember the feel in my hand of that most wonderful American coin ever minted, a nickel with a buffalo on one side and the head of an Indian on the other. That nickel was a daily proof of our country's past. Bring it back! Paul Engle americanbackbring share on social
Without vision you don't see, and without practicality the bills don't get paid. Paul Engle billpaypracticality Change image and share on social
But maybe it's up in the hills under the leaves or in a ditch somewhere. Maybe it's never found. But what you find, whatever you find, is always only part of the missing, and writing is the way the poet finds out what it is he found. Paul Engle ditchfindhill 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
I had been warned about Jews by my gentile friends - they did terrible things with knives to boys. Paul Engle boyfriendgentile Change image and share on social
All families had their special Christmas food. Ours was called Dutch Bread, made from a dough halfway between bread and cake, stuffed with citron and every sort of nut from the farm - hazel, black walnut, hickory, butternut. Paul Engle blackbreadbutternut share on social