In the male-dominated field of Irish writers, Mary Lavin was a pioneer. Daphne Wolf examines Lavin’s American roots and the influence they may have had on her work and spirit. Cleaning out old books from my parents’ house, I salvaged a yellowed paperback titled Irish Short Stories and Tales (with a price tag of 35¢). Inside were stories by James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw, … [Read more...] about Mary Lavin’s American Roots
What Are You Like? Miss America Mallory Hagan
A native of Opelika, Alabama, Mallory Hagan moved to Brooklyn, New York in 2008, at the age of 19, with $1,000 and big ambitions. While studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology, she won a succession of beauty pageants at the city and state level: she was Miss Brooklyn 2010, Miss Manhattan 2011, Miss New York City 2012 and Miss New York 2012. On January 12, she was … [Read more...] about What Are You Like? Miss America Mallory Hagan
The Collins Clan
Collins, also sometimes found as Cullane or O’Cullane, is one of the most common surnames in Munster. It originates from the sept of Ó Coileáin, which extended from County Cork to south Limerick. The name itself is thought to come from the Irish coileán, meaning a whelp or a young dog. In the 13th century, the Ó Coileáins were chased southward into Cork after losing a war with … [Read more...] about The Collins Clan
Sláinte! Music, Music, Music
Edythe Preet writes that music defines Ireland’s identity. For every country there is an iconic image that immediately brings the nation to mind. The United States has the Statue of Liberty. Dragons evoke thoughts of China. The Fleur de Lis is quintessentially French. While national symbols range the gamut from mythical beasts, crowns, and statues to insignias, monuments, … [Read more...] about Sláinte! Music, Music, Music
Review of Books
Recently published books of Irish and Irish-American interest. Recommended: A History of Ireland in 100 Objects In late 2010, Fintan O’Toole, literary editor and long-time writer for the Irish Times, had an hour or two to kill in London. He wound up in the British Museum, where the complementary exhibition to the BBC series A History of the World in 100 Objects was on … [Read more...] about Review of Books