“Getting close to books, and spending time by myself, I was obliged to ...” — Shelby Foote Quote

“Getting close to books, and spending time by myself, I was obliged to think about things I would never have thought about if I was busy romping around with a brother and sister.”

“I began the way nearly everybody I ever heard of - I began writing poetry. And I find that to be quite usual with writers, their trying their hand at poetry.”

“I used to write sonnets and various things, and moved from there into writing prose, which, incidentally, is a lot more interesting than poetry, including the rhythms of prose.”

“My father was a military judge, and my mother was a psychiatric social worker. My brother and sister and I were moved around constantly, in and outside the U.S., living in Germany for much of our teens.”

“My brother and sister are both older than I am and were born before my father went off to World War I.”

“I haven't changed, I'm still the same lad who lives at home with my mam, brother and sister.”