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Colm Toibin Quotes


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Quotes by Colm Toibin

Showing 31-40 of 60 Quotes by Colm Toibin

People love talking about writers as storytellers, but I hate being called that: it suggests I got it from my grandmother or something, when my writing really comes out of silence. If a storyteller came up to me, I'd run away.

~Colm Toibin

Topics: About Away Being Came Got Grandmother Hate Love Me Out People Really Run Silence Something Storyteller Storytellers Talking Up Writers Writing

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I work very deliberately, with a plan. But sometimes I come to a point that I planned as the end and it needs softening. Ending a novel is almost like putting a child to sleep - it can't be done abruptly.

~Colm Toibin

Topics: Almost Child Come Deliberately Done End Ending Like Needs Novel Plan Planned Point Putting Sleep Sometimes Very Work

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Writing tends to be very deliberate. A novelist could probably run a military campaign with some success. They could certainly run a country.

~Colm Toibin

Topics: Campaign Certainly Could Country Deliberate Military Novelist Run Some Success Tends Very Writing

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I never listen to music when I am writing. It would be impossible. I listen to Bach in the mornings, mostly choral music; also some Handel, mostly songs and arias; I like Schubert's and Beethoven's chamber music and Sibelius' symphonies; for opera, I listen to Mozart and in recent years Wagner.

~Colm Toibin

Topics: Also Am Bach Beethoven Chamber Impossible Like Listen Mornings Mostly Mozart Music Never Opera Recent Recent Years Some Songs Symphonies Wagner Would Writing Years I Am

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My first novel was turned down by about twenty publishers over a period of two and a half years. Because my name is Irish and would not be familiar to English editors, one of them said: 'If she writes anything else, do let us know.' Slowly, very slowly, the books began to sell and be noticed.

~Colm Toibin

Topics: About Anything Anything Else Because Began Books Down Editors Else English Familiar First Half Half Years Irish Know Let Us Name Noticed Novel Over Period Publishers Said Sell She Slowly Them Turned Twenty Two Us Very Would Writes Years

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It is important to find a publisher and equally important not to be noticed until your third or fourth book.

~Colm Toibin

Topics: Book Equally Find Fourth Important Noticed Publisher Third Until Your

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I think fiction lends itself to messiness rather than the ideal, and plays well with the ironies surrounding what happens versus what should happen.

~Colm Toibin

Topics: Fiction Happen Happens Ideal Itself Lends Plays Rather Should Surrounding Than Think Versus Well I Think

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'One Minus One' and 'Barcelona, 1975' are more or less autobiographical.

~Colm Toibin

Topics: Autobiographical Barcelona Less Minus More More Or Less

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I think you can get a sort of intensity and an edginess offering nine stories in a book. Competing versions of things.

~Colm Toibin

Topics: Book Competing Get Intensity Nine Offering Sort Stories Things Think Versions You I Think

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The sentences I write have their roots in song and poetry, and take their bearings from music and painting, as much as from the need to impart mere information, or mirror anything. I am not a realist writer, even if I seem like one.

~Colm Toibin

Topics: Am Anything Bearing Even Impart Information Like Mere Mirror Much Music Need Painting Poetry Realist Roots Seem Sentences Song Take Write Writer I Am I Write

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Biography

Nationality: Irish

Type: Novelist

Born: May 30th, 1955

Links

Find Colm Toibin on Amazon

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