The ad man knew what he was doing. Hired to write copy about a road that didn’t yet exist, he had an idea: create something out of whole cloth. He had as his subject an about-to-be-named Chicago-to-Los Angeles highway, the ramshackle one that would be quilted together from dozens of variously named and sometimes unconnected roads. He would dress that baby up. He’d call it … [Read more...] about Okie Faces & Irish Eyes: John Steinbeck & Route 66
Writers and Poets
Review of Books
Fiction In books such as The Butcher Boy and Breakfast on Pluto, Patrick McCabe has displayed a great interest in the macabre. McCabe’s latest, Winterwood, could be his darkest work yet, with a strong dose of Stephen King tossed into McCabe’s reliably strange brew. Once happily married, Redmond Hatch can only stand by as his family crumbles before his eyes. So distraught is … [Read more...] about Review of Books
John Banville: A Master Stylist Turns to Crime
By Lauren Byrne, Contributor
June / July 2007
June / July 2007
Like James Joyce and Samuel Beckett, the name John Banville is frequently mentioned in the reverent tones reserved for writers more often invoked than read. His prose, lush and hypnotic, is flecked with mordant humor, but even his most ardent fans agree it can be difficult to register a chuckle amid the ruminations in such novels as The Untouchable, Eclipse, and even his Booker … [Read more...] about John Banville: A Master Stylist Turns to Crime
Maeve Binchy: The Queen of Chick Lit
UPDATE: Maeve Binchy, one of Ireland's national treasures, passed away on July 30, 2012, in Dublin. Sharon Ní Chonchúir's 2007 interview with Binchy, below, captures her incredible spirit and down-to-earth philosophy. Maeve Binchy couldn’t be more apologetic. She is sincerely fond of her American fans and is disappointed to have to let them down. “I can’t come to America for … [Read more...] about Maeve Binchy: The Queen of Chick Lit
Ireland’s Season of ReJoyce
For millions of people, June 16 is always an extraordinary day. On that day in 1904, Leopold Bloom made his epic journey through Dublin as described by James Joyce in Ulysses, one of the world's most highly acclaimed modern novels. "Bloomsday" -- the St. Patrick's Day of literature -- has become a tradition for Joyce enthusiasts all over the world. Nowhere is Bloomsday more … [Read more...] about Ireland’s Season of ReJoyce