Pastoral Resources

Every year I teach dozens of students at the University of Birmingham. Most of the students on the gender and sexuality courses are women. I guess this is because the boys don't think that gender applies to them: that it's a subject for girls.

Odd how much it hurts when a friend moves away- and leaves behind only silence.

Why my interest in writers? Well, I'm one, and many of my friends are writers. I know what it's like to write. I'm interested in the creative process. I'm fascinated by the disparity between who we are on the outside, and what we have bubbling away inside us.

A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often - just to save it from drying out completely.

The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they're okay, then it's you.

Remember that the most valuable antiques are dear old friends.

I've written many extra verses to songs that I learned to sing - an extra verse about a friend, or just add some verse - and that led to writing my own songs.

I wrote the song For A Dancer for a friend of mine who died in a fire. He was in the sauna in a house that burned down, so he had no idea anything was going on. It was very sad.

If you want an accounting of your worth, count your friends.

A man may be in as just possession of truth as of a city, and yet be forced to surrender.

When friends stop being frank and useful to each other, the whole world loses some of its radiance.

People have no idea what a hard job it is for two writers to be friends. Sooner or later you have to talk about each other's work.

Time makes friendship stronger, but love weaker.

Two persons cannot long be friends if they cannot forgive each other's little failings.

No man is so perfect, so necessary to his friends, as to give them no cause to miss him less.

Love and friendship exclude each other.

I have friends who have a CD mastering plant in Hollywood and they are very sceptical about European record labels' understanding of digital technology.

I do, indeed, close my door at times and surrender myself to a book, but only because I can open the door again and see a human face looking at me.

An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.

Friendship is a strong and habitual inclination in two persons to promote the good and happiness of one another.