Return to Brooklyn
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
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
- Loss as Liberation — Colm Tóibín
Losing one's homeland can be loss, but it can also be the beginning of freedom. In exile, one becomes oneself
- 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
- Rebirth Through a Name — Bob Dylan
I changed my name because the old me died. Dylan is who I really am.
- The Times They Are A-Changing — Bob Dylan
Change is the only constant. We all must change or die.
- Life Is What Happens — John Lennon
Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans.
- Story of Transformation — David Bowie
I went through so many experiences that I became multiple persons. It was necessary.
- It's Never Too Late to Change — Elton John
I feel grateful for my life. I made mistakes, but I faced them and corrected them.
- Innovation Keeps Music Alive — Herbie Hancock
Innovation is what keeps music alive and relevant.