Frank McCourt Quotes

Frank McCourt
Frank McCourt
Irish Author
Born: Aug 19, 1930
Died: Jul 19, 2009
Book Me Mother People Think You
Related authors: Anne Enright C. S. Lewis Frank Harris Iris Murdoch Kevin Barry Os Guinness Rebecca West Sally Rooney
I knew I had to find my own way of teaching. Frank McCourt
Own Way Find My Own Had Knew Teaching
I thought everything would be different in America. It wasn't. Frank McCourt
Thought Everything Would Would-Be Be Different America Different
The day I write my last word will be the day that I feel free. Frank McCourt
Day Word Will Free Write Feel Last
I wanted to avoid all that literary stuff. I didn't want the self pity of 'The Portrait,' all the moaning and the whingeing. I'm not knocking Joyce: we all owe him a debt. He's the one who made so much possible. Frank McCourt
Made Possible Self He Stuff Knocking Joyce Him Self-Pity Moaning Debt Owe Want Wanted Literary Pity Much Avoid Who Portrait
I think that's why you see so many Americans in Dublin look so sad: they are looking for the door through which they can begin to understand this place. I tell them, 'Go to the races.' I think it's the best place to start understanding the Irish. Frank McCourt
Sad Best You Looking Understanding Think Tell See Through Look Understand Dublin Go Irish Begin American Door Place Which Them Races Many Why Start
You're beginning to hear the tale of the common man and woman rather than the traditional memoir about the generals who just finished the war or the politicians who just rendered glorious service to the country. Frank McCourt
Service War You Man Woman Finished Country Glorious Beginning Politicians Memoir About Rather Generals Tale Rendered Traditional Hear Than Just Common Common Man Who
When I look back on my childhood, I wonder how I survived at all. Frank McCourt
Back Look How Wonder Survived Childhood
Way back in my mid-20s, I started making notes. I would just jot things down: lists of street names, songs, peculiar turns of speech, jokes, whatever. Frank McCourt
Jokes Whatever Down Back Way Would Songs Jot Names Making Just Lists Notes Turns Street Things Started Peculiar Speech
I worked in a number of high schools in New York, and I wound up at Stuyvesant High School, which is known nationally for producing brilliant scientists and mathematicians, but I had writing classes. I thought I was teaching. They thought I was teaching, but I was learning. Frank McCourt
Learning Writing School Brilliant Thought High Wound Classes High School High Schools Had New Schools Known Scientists Mathematicians Up York New York Which Worked Producing Teaching Number
Happiness is hard to recall. Its just a glow. Frank McCourt
Happiness Glow Just Hard Recall
You look at passers-by in Rome and think, 'Do they know what they have here?' You can say the same about Philadelphia. Do people know what went on here? Frank McCourt
You People Think Say About Know Look Passers-By Same Rome Here Philadelphia
I'm always a great student of writers' work habits. Balzac sat at his desk dressed in a monk's robe, and he always had to have a rotten apple on his desk. The smell of the apple inspired him somehow. Frank McCourt
Work Great Smell Dressed Somehow Habits Inspired Student Writers Had He Robe Him Always His Sat Rotten Apple Monk Desk
You sail into the harbor, and Staten Island is on your left, and then you see the Statue of Liberty. This is what everyone in the world has dreams of when they think about New York. And I thought, 'My God, I'm in Heaven. I'll be dancing down Fifth Avenue like Fred Astaire with Ginger Rogers.' Frank McCourt
God Dreams You World Liberty Thought Sail Avenue Down Think Astaire Everyone Dancing Statue Statue Of Liberty Fred Ginger Fred Astaire See About New Like Island Left Rogers York Heaven New York Then Fifth Harbor Your
The happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Frank McCourt
Happy Worth Childhood While Happy Childhood Your Hardly
You feel a sense of urgency, especially at my advanced age, when you're staring into the grave. Frank McCourt
You Age Sense Advanced Feel Urgency Grave Staring
If ever you are to be visited by the Holy Ghost, you should make certain you're sitting beside a fireman. Frank McCourt
You Ghost Visited Beside Fireman Make Sitting Holy Certain Holy Ghost Should Ever
When I got out of the army, I had the G.I. Bill. Since I had no high school education or anything like that, I came to NYU, and they took a chance on me and let me in. Frank McCourt
Education Me Army School Took Out High High School Had Since Like Got Came Anything Bill NYU Chance
On the last day of my teaching career, I was sitting in my apartment, having a glass of wine, thinking I'm glad I did it, that I had been somehow useful, that I had learned something. Frank McCourt
Day Wine Thinking Somehow Something Having Glad Had Glass Learned Been Did Sitting Apartment Useful Teaching Last Career
I just have to proceed as usual. No matter what happens, nothing helps with the writing of the next book. Frank McCourt
Book Writing Matter Nothing Just Proceed Happens Next Usual Helps
My childhood here... was very limited. So it was a long, long time before I actually went out to Brooklyn. Frank McCourt
Time Long Long Time Before Out Brooklyn Limited Very Childhood Actually Here
And, of course, they've always condemned dancing. You know, you might touch a member of the opposite sex. And you might get excited and you might do something natural. Frank McCourt
You Natural Sex Dancing Member Touch Something Excited Know Course Always Condemned Opposite Opposite Sex Get Might
I'm not one of those James Joyce intellectuals who can stand back and look at the whole edifice... It was a slow process for me to just crawl out of it, like a snake leaving his skin behind. Frank McCourt
Me Slow Snake Skin Back Those Out Slow Process Like Joyce Look Edifice Leaving His Intellectuals Behind Just James James Joyce Process Crawl Stand Who Whole
I had to get rid of any idea of hell or any idea of the afterlife. That's what held me, kept me down. So now I just have nothing but contempt for the institution of the church. Frank McCourt
Me Church Nothing Hell Down Had Idea Institution Contempt Get Any Just Afterlife Held Rid Now Kept
Actually, my mother and Alfie came for three weeks' Christmas vacation and stayed for 21 years. I guess my mother never went back because she was lonely. Frank McCourt
Christmas Mother Three Lonely Alfie Guess Back Stayed Weeks Never She Because Came Years Actually Vacation
I think I settled on the title before I ever wrote the book. Frank McCourt
Book Before Think Settled Wrote Title Ever
If somebody wants me to speak in, say, Chicago, a limousine picks me up at the door to brings me to the airport. I fly at the front of the plane, and a limousine meets me at the other end to take me to a grand hotel, and usually an envelope is left for me with a per diem, maybe $150-a-day walking around money, and then I go home. Frank McCourt
Home Me Speak Money Fly Somebody Other Meets Say Airport Per Take Envelope Picks Hotel Around Go Go Home Chicago Left End Up Walking Front Maybe Door Wants Grand Plane Then Brings
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