Loss as Liberation
Losing one's homeland can be loss, but it can also be the beginning of freedom. In exile, one becomes oneself
Colm Tóibín
Irish novelist and critic, author of Brooklyn and The Magician
All moments: Colm Tóibín
- Emigration as Theme — Colm Tóibín
Emigration leaves a scar, but that scar contains a person's entire story. It's material for a writer
- Irish Identity — Colm Tóibín
Being an Irish writer means living between past and future. We cannot forget history, but must rewrite it with meaning
- Catholic Imagination — Colm Tóibín
Catholicism gave me a language for understanding human suffering. It's a language of metaphor, mystery, and ambivalence
- Return to Brooklyn — Colm Tóibín
Fifteen years passed between the first Brooklyn novel and its sequel. During that time, Eilis became different, and I found new stories in her life
- The Writing Process — Colm Tóibín
Writing is solitude and discipline. You must sit for long hours with yourself and listen to the character's voice
- Dramatization as Honesty — Colm Tóibín
If I don't dramatise this, it will never be known. Fiction is how we reveal what reality conceals
Related moments
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I never tried to fit in. I prefer to be myself, even if it's alien.
- Compromise and Conscience — Bob Dylan
I'll never sell my soul for money or fame. It's my only true asset.
- Childhood - Where It All Starts — Michael Jackson
Childhood is where it all starts. If we lose childhood, we lose everything.
- Faith Moves Mountains — John Legend
Faith, hope and love are the three pillars of my life
- Heal the World — Michael Jackson
All I wanna do is heal the world. Make it better for our children.
- Give Peace a Chance — John Lennon
People ask why I talk about peace and love. It's the only way I see forward.