When I come home, I say I'm coming home to Dublin. When I'm in Dublin, I say I'm going home to New York. I'm sort of a man of two countries. Colum McCann comecountrydublin Change image and share on social
I don't believe the world's a particularly beautiful place, but I do believe in redemption. Colum McCann beautifulplaceredemption Change image and share on social
The best writers attempt to become alternative historians. Colum McCann alternativeattempthistorian Change image and share on social
It's not very fashionable, but I love life, and I believe that things disappear and reappear and nothing ever solidifies, no matter how middle-class, housebroken, staid, and solitary someone's life seems to be. That, I think, is what I'm writing about. Colum McCann classdisappearfashionable share on social
I'm much more interested in allowing a story to happen, and people find whatever meaning is in there. Colum McCann allowfindhappen Change image and share on social
Very seldom in my fiction have I directly used the stories people have told me. I think ripping off people's lives in fiction is dangerous. It also lacks imagination. Colum McCann dangerousdirectlyfiction Change image and share on social
I'm not interested in blind optimism, but I'm very interested in optimism that is hard-won, that takes on darkness and then says, 'This is not enough.' Colum McCann blinddarknesshard Change image and share on social
If you're a writer, you know there are ways in which we don't know what we're doing at all. We're working out mysteries in a sort of poetic realm, and hoping that if a story is honest, if you're dragging the deep truth out of yourself, then something good and profound might come out of it. Colum McCann deepdraggood share on social
About 25 years ago, I took a bicycle across the United States. I soon found out that the greatest item of clothing was the trusty bandanna. There were dozens of uses for a bandanna - as a pot holder, a chain cleaner, a sun shield, a headband, a snot rag, a declaration of Kerouacian intent. Colum McCann agobandannabicycle share on social
The job of the writer is to look at where he is now and make some sort of emotional sense of it, not only for that moment but for years to come. Colum McCann emotionaljobmake Change image and share on social