To remember everything is a form of madness. Brian Friel More Quotes by Brian Friel More Quotes From Brian Friel It is not the literal past, the 'facts' of history, that shape us, but images of the past embodied in language. Brian Friel shapes facts past The Troubles are a pigmentation in our lives here, a constant irritation that detracts from real life. But life has to do with something else as well, and it's the other things which are the more permanent and real. Brian Friel irritation real trouble Even if I did speak Irish, I’d always be considered an outsider here, wouldn’t I? I may learn the password but the language of the tribe will always elude me, won’t it? The private core will always be ...hermetic, won’t it? Brian Friel outsiders tribes may Confusion is not an ignoble condition Brian Friel ignoble conditions confusion People with a culture of poverty suffer much less from repression than we of the middle class suffer and indeed, if I may make the suggestion with due qualification, they often have a hell of a lot more fun than we have. Brian Friel class fun people I had grandparents who were native Irish speakers, and also, two of the four grandparents were illiterate. Brian Friel grandparents who four two I know now why I stopped writing short stories. It was at the point when I recognised how difficult they were. Brian Friel short know difficult writing I was a member of the Nationalist Party for several years. I don't remember how long. Those were very dreary days, because the Nationalist Party... it's hard to describe what it was. I suppose it held on to some kind of little faith, you know? It wasn't even sure what the faith was, and it was a very despised enterprise by everybody. Brian Friel you faith remember long