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Frank O'Connor Biography

Writer

Frank O'Connor was an Irish writer born on September 17, 1903, and died on March 10, 1966. He is renowned for his short stories, which are deeply influenced by Irish folk tales and mythology.

Girls Masculinity Moneymaking

Book:Collected Stories

Source: Collected Stories

“But my dear young lady," he said offering a cigarette, "who ever said I have a poor opinion of women? On the contrary, I have a very high opinion of women, and the more I see of them the more I like them.”

Male Female Relationships

Book:Collected Stories

Source: Collected Stories

“I was always a great believer in buttered toast.”

Toaster Buttered Toast

Book:Collected Stories

Source: Collected Stories

“The short story is the art form that deals with the individual when there is no longer a society to absorb him, and when he is compelled to exist, as it were, by his own inner light.”

Art Stories Light Form Literature Individual Deals Short Story Compelled Inner Light

Author:Frank O'Connor

“Always in the short story there is this sense of outlawed figures wandering about the fringes of society.... As a result there is in the short story at its most characteristic something we do not often find in the novel--an intense awareness of human loneliness.”

Humans Stories Results Novel Awareness Loneliness Figures Intense Wander Characteristics Short Story Fringe

Author:Frank O'Connor

“All I know from my own experience is that the more loss we feel the more grateful we should be for whatever it was we had to lose. It means that we had something worth grieving for. The ones I'm sorry for are the ones that go through life not knowing what grief is.”

Knows Feels Should Mean Loses My Own Loss Grief Knowing Gratitude Grateful Sorry Grieving Not Knowing I'm Sorry

Book:A Set of Variations: Twenty-seven Stories

Source: A Set of Variations: Twenty-seven Stories

“There are three necessary elements in a story - exposition, development, and drama. Exposition we may illustrate as "John Fortescue was a solicitor in the little town of X"; development as "One day Mrs Fortescue told him she was about to leave him for another man"; and drama as "You will do nothing of the kind," he said.”

Men Kind May Littles Said Stories Three Development Drama One Day Elements Towns Crafts Another Man Little Towns Solicitors

Author:Frank O'Connor

“No man is ever as anti-feminist as a really feminine woman.”

Men Feminism Feminist Feminine Womens Rights Anti Feminist Inspirational Feminist

Author:Frank O'Connor

“I was a great believer in hot buttered toast at all hours of the day.”

Hours Hot Believer Toasts

Author:Frank O'Connor

“A man and woman in search of something are always blown apart, but it's the same wind that blows them.”

Men Wind Men And Women Blow

Book:Collected Stories

Source: Collected Stories

“Even if there were only two men left in the world and both of them saints they wouldn't be happy. One them would be bound to try and improve the other. That is the nature of things.”

Ifs Men World Trying Two Would Be Left Bounds Saint

Book:Crab Apple Jelly: Stories and Tales

Source: Crab Apple Jelly: Stories and Tales

“I suppose we all have our little hiding-hole if the truth was known, but as small as it is, the whole world is in it, and bit by bit grows on us again till the day You find us out.”

Ifs World Littles Whole Grows Bits Known Holes Whole World Hiding

Book:Collected Stories

Source: Collected Stories

“I cant write about something I dont admire. It goes back to the old concept of the celebration: you celebrate the hero, an idea.”

Writing Ideas Hero Concepts Admire Celebrate Celebration Cant

Book:A Frank O'Connor Reader

Source: A Frank O'Connor Reader

About the Author

Born: September 17, 1903
Died: March 10, 1966
Known for: Writer
Quotes: 13

Books & Sources

Collected StoriesRelated source material

A Frank O'Connor ReaderRelated source material

A Set of Variations: Twenty-seven StoriesRelated source material

Crab Apple Jelly: Stories and TalesRelated source material

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