Irwin Shaw

Writing is like a contact sport, like football. You can get hurt, but you enjoy it.

There are too many books I haven't read, too many places I haven't seen, too many memories I haven't kept long enough.

A writer has to live with a sense of honor.

They said I couldn't play anything but an English boy. I knew I could. So I went to New York.

Why do men fight who were born to be brothers?

Well, I actually wrote her a letter a couple of days ago congratulating her. The tone I tried to convey in the letter is, look, you are a part of a great American historical process.