As a work-a-day archival historian, I am generally allergic to historical fiction. But occasionally I discover a novel that reaches into the minds of contemporaries in a way that historians themselves cannot match because they are usually tied to written evidence. Sometimes there is a psychological dimension to historical insight that comes across in the art of the novel, for … [Read more...] about New Edition of John Kerr's "Cardigan Bay" (Review)
Literature
“Scones for Pete Hamill”
By Dan Barry, Contributor
October 22, 2014
October 22, 2014
On Monday, October 20th, 2014, Irish American Writers and Artists Inc. honored Pete Hamill with the Eugene O'Neill Lifetime Achievement Award. The event was held at the Manhattan Club just north of Times Square. Among those in attendance were Hamill's wife, the Japanese journalist Fukiko Aoki; actor Brian Dennehy; singer Judy Collins; New York State Governor Andrew … [Read more...] about “Scones for Pete Hamill”
Colin Barrett Wins 2014
Rooney Prize for Fiction
Irish short story writer and Mayo native Colin Barrett was recently awarded the 2014 Rooney Prize for Irish literature for his new book, Young Skins. The event took place at the Provost House in Trinity College this past September. Barrett’s short stories have been greeted with enthusiasm from critics all over Ireland. Chris Power from The Guardian called it “an extraordinary … [Read more...] about Colin Barrett Wins 2014
Rooney Prize for Fiction
Review of Books
Fiction Someone By Alice McDermott Someone captures the universal experience of life’s joys and tragedies in the story of Marie Commeford, a most unremarkable woman. The novel begins in Depression-era Brooklyn as Marie, a myopic 7-year-old sitting on the stoop waiting for her father, chats with a teenage neighbor, Pegeen. Despite Marie’s bottle-bottom glasses, she still … [Read more...] about Review of Books
Dermot Healy 1947-2014
By Matthew Skwiat, Editorial Assistant
July 2, 2014.
July 2, 2014.
Dermot Healy, one of Ireland’s great contemporary men of letters, passed away June 29. Healy’s sudden death at the early age of 66 came as a shock to many, but his artistic output in those years will live on for many years to come. Healy was a poet, playwright, memoirist and fiction writer whose work was regarded for its originality, depth of feeling, and psychological insight. … [Read more...] about Dermot Healy 1947-2014