- I confess that I do not see what good it does to fulminate against the English tyranny while the Roman tyranny occupies the palace of the soul. [lecture, 27 April 1907]
- There is no heresy or no philosophy which is so abhorrent to the church as a human being. [from a letter, 22 Nov. 1902, in which Joyce declared his intention of leaving Ireland for good]
- [Upon meeting William Butler Yeats]: "We have met too late; you are too old to be influenced by me."
- A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery.
- Ireland is the old sow that eats her farrow.
- Saying that a great genius is mad, while at the same time recognizing his artistic worth, is like saying that he had rheumatism or suffered from diabetes. Madness, in fact, is a medical term that can claim no more notice from the objective critic than he grants the charge of heresy raised by the theologian, or the charge of immorality raised by the police.
- History is a nightmare from which I'm trying to awake.
- All the time he kept on treasuring with condign satisfaction each and every crumb of trektalk, covetous of his neighbor's word.
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