My children have gone to Catholic school... Part of their whole education is talking about the inner life and looking at your life, even though you're only 15 or 16 - thinking about your mortality, thinking about the value of your life, thinking about your obligations. Alice McDermott catholicchildeducation share on social
I have a great fondness for the liars in my stories. Alice McDermott fondnessgreatliar Change image and share on social
Right away I think of two books - 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Rebecca' - and of just sinking into them as a young reader. I think they must have appealed not just to my romantic adolescent soul, but I suppose there's also an appealing darkness in both of them. Alice McDermott adolescentappealbook share on social
Publishing a short story can sometimes feel like shouting into the dark... your words come out, and then nothing... but I don't think that's why I tend to write novels rather than stories. Alice McDermott darkfeelnovel Change image and share on social
No one looks at a baby and says, 'You are going to be a great novelist, and you really need to start writing now.' Something in us says: 'This is what I must do.' Alice McDermott babygreatnovelist Change image and share on social
In grammar school I read 'Act One' by Moss Hart, and being a playwright struck me as the most magical and romantic career anyone could have... But I never did write a play. Alice McDermott actcareergrammar Change image and share on social
I've always believed you go to literature to find the shared human experience, not the categorized human experience. Alice McDermott believecategorizeexperience Change image and share on social
My own 'sentimental favorite' is always the novel I haven't yet written - I suppose that's the one I consider my 'masterpiece' as well. Alice McDermott favoritemasterpiecesentimental Change image and share on social
The thing that fiction can do is look from the inside out rather than from the outside in. Even memoir leaves me somewhat frustrated. I think now we need a poet to uncover what isn't on the surface. Alice McDermott fictionfrustrateinside Change image and share on social
