When a book comes from the publisher and you see it for the first time... Of course it's not remotely like seeing a baby for the first time, but I can remember with each book what room I was in when I opened it. That would be excitement, though, I think. Not pride.
Colm ToibinAll writing is a form of manipulation, of course, but you realize that a plain sentence can actually do so much.
Colm ToibinSuffering is too strong a word, but writing is serious work. I pull the stuff up from me - it's not as if it's a pleasure.
Colm Toibin