I am not a theologian or a historian, and I feel no call to become a defender of the faith, so in my case, the search for what remains valuable focuses on language itself: Catholic prayer, ritual, the naming of things.

I think a misconception among many non-religious people is that anyone with a strong faith is, in all ways and at all times, blindly consistent, unwavering, unquestioning.

Any fiction writer who assumes that a character is typical no doubt runs the risk of stumbling into cliche and stereotype.

Alice McDermott Quotes