One degrades oneself sometimes in the effort not to be lonely.

It is only when our characters and events begin to disobey us that they begin to live.

Thomas Beecham was a pompous little band-master who stood against everything creative in the art of his time.

The word is the most imprecise of signs. Only a science-obsessed age could fail to comprehend that this is its great virtue, not its defect.

Between skin and skin, there is only light.

It is not only species of animal that die out, but whole species of feeling. And if you are wise you will never pity the past for what it did not know, but pity yourself for what it did.

Edith Sitwell's interest in art was largely confined to portraits of herself.