Writing my novel 'The Narrow Road to the Deep North,' I came to conclude that great crimes like the Death Railway did not begin with the first beating or murder on that grim line of horror in 1943.

I think if 'The Narrow Road To The Deep North' is one of the high points of Japanese culture, then the experience of my father, who was a slave laborer on the Death Railway, represents one of its low points.

When I first came to Hollywood, I could not break into movies.

I came to America to make it my home, and I did.

I came to writing because I joined the North Clare Writers' Workshop, which met every week at Ennistymon Library.

I came face to face with death at thirteen years old.