[2] Long was fond of reading as a child, devouring Henry David Thoreau, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Zane Grey, and encountering trouble at school while reading when he was supposed to be paying close attention to his religious studies.
[2] He met figures such as Thomas Merton and Katherine Anne Porter, the latter of whom encouraged him to write in earnest.
[2] While writing he made radio documentaries to generate funds to feed his family.
[2] Among these are Singing Ark (which won a Jacobs Award) and the Dylan Thomas documentary Flowering Flood.
[2] The transplant and recuperation received public interest – RTÉ filmed a documentary and Long's book, Change of Heart, described what had happened and advocated increased donor awareness.