It is difficult to write about any form of mental disease, especially your own, without sounding as if you were examining a bug under glass.

When my mood was high, I seemed normal, even buoyant. I felt smarter. I had secrets. I could see God in a light bulb

What a different world it was when I first sailed for Europe in 1930, with my mother, sister, and brother to spend six months abroad.

I approached everything, my job, my family, my romances, with intensity.

About my career I was serious and earnest, sometimes impatient.

Wealth, beauty, and fame are transient. When those are gone, little is left except the need to be useful.

we Irish don't really need thousands of people surging behind a big brass band to have a parade. One guitar player and a few people whistling will do the job.