One day a week should be set aside for field trips. Frank McCourt More Quotes by Frank McCourt More Quotes From Frank McCourt The English wouldn't give you the steam of their piss. Frank McCourt steam giving Love her as in childhood Through feeble, old and grey. For you’ll never miss a mother’s love Till she’s buried beneath the clay. Frank McCourt childhood mother missing If you were mean to your parents, they'd give you a good belt in the gob and send you flying across the room. Frank McCourt parent giving mean The happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Frank McCourt happy-childhood childhood ashes There’s no use saying anything in the schoolyard because there’s always someone with an answer and there’s nothing you can do but punch them in the nose and if you were to punch everyone who has an answer you’d be punching morning noon and night. Frank McCourt use morning night I had no accomplishments except surviving. But that isn't enough in the community where I came from, because everybody was doing it. So I wasn't prepared for America, where everybody is glowing with good teeth and good clothes and food. Frank McCourt glowing clothes america In the high school classroom you are a drill sergent, a rabbi, a shoulder to cry on, a disciplinarian, a singer, a low-level scholar, a clerk, a referee, a clown, a counselor, a dress-code enforcer, a conductor, an apologist, a philosopher, a collaborator, a tap dancer, a politician, a therapist, a fool, a traffic cop, a priest, a mother-father-brother-sister-uncle-aunt, a bookeeper, a critic, a psychologist, the last straw. Frank McCourt uncles brother mother I can't go too much into my domestic life because there are ex-wives ready to do me in. Frank McCourt ready wife too-much I admire certain priests and nuns who go off on their own and do God's work on their own, who help in the ghettos, but as far as the institution of the church is concerned, I think it is despicable. Frank McCourt ghetto church thinking First of all there is always that artistic challenge of creating something. Or the particular experience to take slum life in that period and make something out of it in the form of a book. And then I felt some kind of responsibility to my family. Frank McCourt creating responsibility book You feel a sense of urgency, especially at my advanced age, when you're staring into the grave. Frank McCourt staring graves age Just let them sit in the goddam sun. But the world won't let them because there's nothing more dangerous than letting old farts sit in the sun. They might be thinking. Same thing with kids. Keep 'em busy or they might start thinking. Frank McCourt ems kids thinking They can afford to smile because they all have teeth so dazzling if they dropped them in the snow they'd be lost forever. Frank McCourt teeth forever snow Shakespeare is like mashed potatoes, you can never get enough of him. Frank McCourt mashed-potatoes potatoes enough I know that big people don't like questions from children. They can ask all the questions they like, How's school? Are you a good boy? Did you say your prayers? but if you ask them did they say their prayers you might be hit on the head. Frank McCourt prayer children school 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 snakes leaving skins There are so many ways of saying Hi. Hiss it, trill it, bark it, sing it, bellow it, laugh it, cough it. A simple stroll in the hallway calls for paragraphs, sentences in your head, decisions galore. Frank McCourt decision simple laughing Teacher? I never dreamed I could rise so high in the world Frank McCourt teacher world I can't go back. The past won't go away in this family. Frank McCourt going-away i-can past Sit and quiet yourself. Luxuriate in a certain memory and the details will come. Let the images flow. You'll be amazed at what will come out on paper. I'm still learning what it is about the past that I want to write. I don't worry about it. It will emerge. It will insist on being told. Frank McCourt writing memories past
