A book is the only place I know in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear that it will go off in your face. It is one of the few sources of information left that is served up without the silent black noise of a headline, the doomy hullabaloo of a commercial. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man’s mind can get both provocation and privacy.

Edward P. Morgan (1910-1993) American journalist

Essay (1955-08-15), “The Literary Bug Doesn’t Bite,” ABC Radio
    (Source)

Collected in Clearing the Air, Part 1 (1963).

Often attributed to Madeleine L'Engle, who quoted it in her lecture (1983-11-16), "Dare To Be Creative," Library of Congress, Washington, DC; she indicated someone had given the quote to her, but she did not know who had said it.