How too long a sacrifice can make a stone of the heart. At first, it seemed to be nothing. It was a curled-up dark brown leaf about the size of a good lock of hair and it was preserved in glass in a room in the Fairlow Herbarium in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A typewritten card alongside the leaf said that it was taken from an infected potato plant in Ireland during the … [Read more...] about Leaves of Pain
Archive
The Narrowback
I can't remember when I first heard it, but my mother told me I was called a "narrowback" because it was slang for an Irish person born in the United States. When asked why a "narrowback?" she said, "I guess because narrowbacks are not as big and strong as the Irish who come over." "Narrowback" is defined in Bernard Share's Slanguage – A Dictionary of Irish Slang (Gill & … [Read more...] about The Narrowback
Edward Kennedy
The Senior Senator
If you ask his fellow senators – liberals or conservatives – who's on their list of the hardest-working and best senators, Edward Kennedy's name is always there. Throughout his tenure he has defended the poor, elderly, and handicapped of the country, and any significant legislation affecting these groups in the areas of education, jobs, housing, or healthcare is sure to have … [Read more...] about Edward KennedyThe Senior Senator
Gene Kelly
The Ultimate Entertainer
As dancer, singer, actor, director, and producer, Gene Kelly has provided audiences with some of the greatest moments in the history of show business.
On the Irish in dance: The Irish really dominated the popular dance in 20th-century America, no doubt about it. I think it came from the fact that the dancing in Ireland for centuries has been clog dancing and reels, and … [Read more...] about Gene KellyThe Ultimate Entertainer
The Perils of Pat
Peter Quinn writes about his immigrant grandfather. ℘℘℘ The man on the horse is my paternal grandfather, Patrick Francis Quinn. The date is September 5, 1904. Pat is about to take his place as grand marshal of the New York City Labor Day Parade. The horse was rented for the occasion. I have the sash he is wearing in the photograph, a piece of faded blue silk embroidered … [Read more...] about The Perils of Pat