"Literature in the written sense represents the triumph of language over writing: the subversion of writing for purposes that have little or nothing to do with social and economic control."
— Robert Bringhurst (The Solid Form Of Language: An Essay On Writing And Meaning)

"If language is lost, humanity is lost. If writing is lost, certain kinds of civilization and society are lost, but many other kinds remain - and there is no reason to think that those alternatives are inferior."
— Robert Bringhurst (The Solid Form Of Language: An Essay On Writing And Meaning)

"When you think intensely and beautifully, something happens. That something is called poetry. If you think that way and speak at the same time, poetry gets in your mouth. If people hear you, it gets in their ears. If you think that way and write at the same time, then poetry gets written. But poetry exists in any case. The question is only: are you going to take part, and if so, how?"
— Robert Bringhurst (The Tree of Meaning: Thirteen Talks)