One of the cheapest commodities in the world is unfulfilled genius. All of us want to be known as a unique individual, the one who broke out of the pack. So, you offer yourself up as a sacrifice and what you’re afraid of is losing and being thrown back into the pack. One question taunts you. Do you want to have, or do you want to be?

Anyone who goes into writing has to find out somewhere along the line, he's either naive or insane.

All you have the right to ask of life is to choose a battle in this war, make the best you can, and leave the field with honor.

The ability of a person to atone has always been the most remarkable of human features.

I am very proud of this work because it is more about the meaning of the Easter Rising and its relationship to what this whole century has been about, people liberating themselves, freeing themselves.

Pride is a fool's fortress

So writing is a very, very difficult position to obtain... and retain.