Recommended Pete Hamill offers up an epic tale of the Irish -- and almost every other immigrant group -- in America with Forever. An almost fantastical novel, Hamill's book begins outside Belfast, in the late 1730s. The Carson household seems a placid one, with a hardworking Dad (a blacksmith) and loving Mom. But soon, Hamill reveals tragic -- then dangerous -- details. … [Read more...] about Book Reviews
Issues
Sláinte: Four & Twenty Blackbirds Baked in a Pie
Just recently I moved into a little house with a large front lawn and a very large back yard. All needed some tender loving care. The house, a darling early fifties bungalow constructed during LA's post-WWII boomtown days, has good bones, and a little creative cosmetic work has enhanced its dormant beauty. The outdoor areas, on the other hand, require major help. All the other … [Read more...] about Sláinte: Four & Twenty Blackbirds Baked in a Pie
Last Word: Paul Hill
Paul Hill, who spent 15 years in jail having been falsely convicted of an IRA bombing, is concerned about the fate of three Irishmen arrested in Colombia for allegedly assisting FARC rebels in a guerrilla campaign against the state government . He spoke to Patricia Harty from Colombia in December. What are the chances of the three getting a fair trial? None. As far as I'm … [Read more...] about Last Word: Paul Hill
Photo Album: Reaching For The Sky
Who could guess the financial disaster brewing in New York City, 1929, when my father, Mick Connolly gathered a few friends on his tenement roof to capture the joy of a baptismal celebration several floors below. The third of his seven children, Mary Elizabeth, was being feted with a large gathering at East 97th Street and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan after a May ceremony held … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Reaching For The Sky
The Tyrone Guthrie Centre
Hugh Mulligan Visits Ireland's premier retreat For artists and finds a workplace without a time clock. ℘℘℘ The Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig is located in lush and lovely countryside populated by more cows than people and rather inconveniently located 75 miles from Dublin and Belfast on what the lady in the airport car rental office called "the far side Monaghan … [Read more...] about The Tyrone Guthrie Centre