Mary Costello’s New York diary, August 2011

Image 0 of 3

“I’m in New York for a couple of weeks, and for a few hours each day I occupy a desk on the 8th floor of the Centre for Fiction, on 47th St between 5th Ave and Madison. I set up the laptop and delve into the notebook – underlining words, asterisking sentences, drawing arrows across pages. I try to nudge my way into a new story. I have to think my way into characters and map them and their tiny marks on the human register. I circle the perimeter fence. The voice is not right. I am hesitant. I try to slide in sideways, grope my way in the darkness and, if I am lucky, fall down a rabbit hole”

A cafe in midtown Manhattan: “The soul is stirred by everything. I have no firewall. The smallest detail inspires, elates, and one thought leads to a thousand, and the mind and the imagination are in a terrible state of chassis and the cup overfloweth. I think I have strayed into a field live with ADHD and any minute now my circuits will short and I’ll suffer an outage and I’ll sit gazing at the screen, not knowing my name, or the name of another soul in the city”

Mon Apr 27 2015 - 10:53

MORE GALLERIES

In pictures: John Bruton's funeral

In pictures: John Bruton's funeral

The State funeral of former taoiseach John Bruton took place at St Peter and Paul’s Church, Dunboyne, Co Meath,on February 10th, 2024.

Storm Isha

Storm Isha

A selection of pictures during Storm Isha from around the country

Pictures of the year 2023

Pictures of the year 2023

The best pictures of 2023

Major disorder erupts in Dublin in wake of serious stabbing incident

Major disorder erupts in Dublin in wake of serious stabbing incident

In Pictures: Irish designers at London Fashion Week 2023

In Pictures: Irish designers at London Fashion Week 2023

Irish designers at London Fashion Week 2023

LATEST STORIES

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...