All my friends had grandparents who had accents. I thought all grandparents were supposed to have accents. My friends were all second-generation, as I was. Alice McDermott accentfriendgeneration Change image and share on social
I'm very conscious of trying to make something epic out of something small and ordinary. Alice McDermott consciousepicmake Change image and share on social
I'm always telling my students, don't - don't worry so much third person, first person. It doesn't make that much difference. Alice McDermott differencemakeperson Change image and share on social
Read everything. Write all the time. And if you can do anything else that gives you equal pleasure and allows you to sleep soundly at night, do that instead. The writing life is an odd one, to say the least. Alice McDermott equallifenight share on social
Most of the characters I write with don't think an awful lot about their faith. They're not always questioning the church or feeling confined by the church or rebelling against the church. Alice McDermott awfulcharacterchurch Change image and share on social
I learned really early on that I had to treat it as if it were a real job. This might be my middle class background - the Irish work ethic, which isn't quite the same as the Protestant work ethic - but still, it's, 'Get a job and show up every day. Be there. And don't complain. Who do you think you are: you're nobody special; go to work.' Alice McDermott backgroundclasscomplain share on social
I like that original romance of having a pen and a legal pad and going anywhere in the world and being able to write a novel with just those two things. Alice McDermott legaloriginalpad Change image and share on social
I'm interested in characters who should know better, who know they should give up, move on, accept life as it is, with all its constraints - life, death, time - but don't. Alice McDermott acceptcharacterconstraint Change image and share on social
In the act of reading, especially reading fiction, where a world is being created, all kinds of matters of belief come into play. Alice McDermott actbeliefcreate Change image and share on social
I have not won far more awards than I have won. Alice McDermott awardwin Change image and share on social