Colm Tóibín

I was with Hedy and I'd gone back to Columbia to teach.

And I hadn't told anyone because I was on sabbatical when I had cancer.

I didn't tell anyone in Columbia.

I didn't tell anyone.

And I was back at spring break and I was back in LA and I just got a sentence.

It all started with my balls.

And once that sentence came, I was away.

It's a funny idea that, that a sentence leads you to the whole thing.

And so I did write about it then.

And the London Review of Books was sweet enough to publish it.

Yeah, it's a question of bouncing back, you know.

Oh, Martin Amis always had a lovely haircut.

And he was very beautiful.

Yeah.

And he had, but he did wear bell bottoms.

And...

I don't think I ever wore bell bottoms.

I imagine wearing bell bottoms.

But I'm trying to think about, you know, I suppose someone like Philip Roth always looked great.

he was tall you see I think if you're tall that's what someone said about Philip Larkin he shouldn't have moaned so much about his looks because he was tall I think being tall would be great