Beckett

I came across this nice piece on Samuel Beckett by his friend the poet John Montague. Extract:

when I teased him about the confusions about his birthday, he still stuck to Good Friday, April 13, 1906, despite the birth certificate recording May 13. 'I have it from a good source,' he said. 'Not the Dublin City Records,' I replied. 'A far better source,' he grinned, 'someone at the heart of the problem.' Then with one flat Dublin phrase, he swept my friendly prodding away:
'The mother!' His look dared me to contradict that authority.