“I've been trying to write for as long as I can remember. But those first fifteen years didn't produce much of great interest. I mean, it embarrasses me very much to look back on my early poems--very few lines of any merit at all and lots of affectation. But there were quite a lot of them. That's a point in one's favor.” WritingTryingYearsFirstsLooksMeanLongI CanRememberInterestLinesProduceFavorsMeritFifteenFifteen Years Author:Kingsley Amis
“In the [first] fifteen years [of field work] I can remember just ten times when I had really narrow escapes from death. Two were from drowning in typhoons, one was when our boat was charged by a wounded whale; once my wife and I were nearly eaten by wild dogs, once we were in great danger from fanatical lama priests; two were close calls when I fell over cliffs, once I was nearly caught by a huge python, and twice I might have been killed by bandits.” YearsFirstsHas BeensI CanTwoMightRememberWifeDogDangerFieldsHugeTenCaughtMy WifeBoatPriestsFifteenWoundedMight Have BeenDrowningCliffsWhalesFifteen YearsLamaPythonBanditsTyphoonsWild DogsClose Calls Author:Roy Chapman Andrews