Where would the Irish be without someone to be Irish at?

the process of reading is reciprocal; the book is no more than a formula, to be furnished out with images out of the reader's mind.

If you look at life one way, there is always cause for alarm.

Nothing, that is say no one, can be such an inexorable tour-conductor as one's own conscience or sense of duty, if one allows either the upper hand: the self-bullying that goes on in the name of sight-seeing is grievous.

Style is the thing that's always a bit phony, and at the same time you cannot write without style.

children like change - for one thing, they never anticipate regret.

... any fictionis bound to be transposed autobiography.