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Ireland starts for me with the end of 'The Dead,' which my father read to me from his desk in his basement office in New Albany, Ind.

For me, it's all about The Dubliners by James Joyce. I love The Dead.

Irish poetry has lost the ready ear and the comforts of recognition. But we must go on. We must be true to our own minds.

Everything that we inherit, the rain, the skies, the speech, and anybody who works in the English language in Ireland knows that there's the dead ghost of Gaelic in the language we use and listen to and that those things will reflect our Irish identity.

The truth is that I am in love with Dublin. I think it is the most beautiful town that I have ever seen, mountains at the back and the sea in front, and long roads winding through decaying suburbs and beautiful woods.

Writing about carrying the past on your back is a manifestation of my Irishness, because we go on and on and will for another two or three generations.

When I die India will be found engraved on my heart.

'The Dublin Magazine' has been edited with good taste, and it is very agreeable reading, but to speak quite candidly, I do not believe in the future of any literary journal any more than I believe in the future of the Trinity.

I had a very happy childhood, which is unsuitable if you're going to be an Irish writer.