Bringing this over from Bluestalking at its Typepad location, replaying it due to the impending St. Patrick’s Day holiday. I have at least one other interview with a genuine Irish writer. You may bet your shamrock I’ll repeat it here by or before Monday. This interview was a highlight of my life, not just my … Continue reading Interview with author Sebastian Barry (Instant Replay)
You grew up in such a rich storytelling environment, learning more than most about your family’s history – especially contrasting here in the States, where we’re more “mixed breeds,” often without any clear ethnic heritage at all. Do you believe you would have chosen writing as your vocation if you’d grown up without such moving … Continue reading Interview: Sebastian Barry
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, y’all! I do have a bit of genuine Irish in me, but the bulk of my heritage is English, Scottish and Dutch. What Irish I do have I magnify on March 17th, as one does. My daughter and I toured Ireland together back in 2014. She was finishing up a … Continue reading St Patrick’s Day Gift: interviews with three great Irish writers
My distraction throughout the reading of Barry’s book is no reflection on it, nor its quality. The same happened when I read Graham Swift’s Walter Scott-nominated Mothering Sunday, though in reading back through a second time I was moved by its beauty. The inability to fully fall into Days Without End is about my current life … Continue reading Walter Scott Prize Shortlist: Sebastian Barry’s ‘Days Without End’
Colm Tóibín will be speaking at Elmhurst College this evening, on the topic of “The Irish Renaissance.” I am thrilled to say I’ll be in attendance. Mr. Tóibín was kind enough to grant me an interview and here it is: LG: The term “Irish Renaissance” suggests there was ever a time Irish storytelling and … Continue reading An interview with Colm Toibin
Dawn Lerman, 2015 Kim Powers, 2015 Kevin Brockmeier 2014 Sebastian Barry 2012 Wiley Cash 2012 Jim Crace 2012 A.J. Jacobs 2012 Peter May 2012 Adam Ross 2012 Billy Collins 2007 Selah Saterstrom 2007 David J. Walker 2006 Wendy K. Harris 2006 Lewis Buzbee 2006 Linda Gillard 2006 Robert Hill 2006
I didn’t keep very good track of what I read this year. I can’t imagine why, can you? It’s not like I was busy leaving one life and starting another, traveling and seeing the world – coming back to the States and starting everything all over again. Just no good excuse at all … Continue reading 2017 Reads: A Recap of best reads
Short pause time from my travel rumblings so I can chat about books. Haven’t had much time for them, sad to say. Buying books, yes, that continues apace. It’s the reading bit that’s tricky. Scares me to think the more I query, get assignments and write the less time will be had for my lovely, lovely … Continue reading book whore’s haul: blame it on the orange prize, etc.
Known not so much for my timeliness as my obsessive nature, I’ve filled April, May and possibly June with all manner of Irishness. I did not bypass the month of March. Nay, I observed St. Pat’s with the consumption of a full half pint of Guinness and a resounding Slàinte, a tribute to at least … Continue reading The Year of the Irish. Or the Quarter, at Least.
Welcome to the week of Thanksgiving, a time when we Colonials observe the gratitude our ancestors felt for having produced a bumper crop of food to sustain them through the upcoming winter, thanks largely to the help and advice of the Native Americans, without whom we’d have been screwed. As some versions of history have … Continue reading ‘Twas the week of Thanksgiving
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