Irish-American Books

This book is great for any high school or even middle school teacher looking to include critical theory in the study of literature. Appleman suggests several ways in which students will be able to "put their Ray bans on" while looking at the world.

There is nothing wrong with encouraging students to encounter literature from a variety of viewpoints and any worthy English teacher of literature should be adept in reinforcing this skill. In this respect, Appleman's book shows merit. She outlines approaches for teaching the literary theories of Reader-Response, Marxism, Feminism, and Deconstruction, with (ad nauseum) student responses and sample handouts. And of course we walk in a world of categorization and theory, so writing about teaching literary theory is somewhat of a "no brainer" since our brain organizes information this way; without this skill, one could not survive. In short, she attempts to bring the theoretical world of the critics closer to younger students. Who can criticize that? Yet.... When I was reading her book, I kept thinking that this information might be handy for a certain teacher who lacks confidence in his or her own ability to respond directly to literature. Having the lenses is a great exercise, especially if one wants their students to show well on "Jeopardy." Yes, they are indispensible to know if one is in an English graduate program. Knowing them would also help one appear more erudite at a literary party. So teach the students literary theory. Then teach them to respond with their own hearts and minds; to read with passion, voraciously, discarding the inapplicable and acting with courage on the true. Teach them to underline their books (their OWN books, of course) simply because they found a beautiful sentence. Teach them to read the Introduction to the novel LAST, after they have had a chance to read and develop their OWN lense--their own viewpoints. This takes greater courage, I believe. Students need to THINK the page. Robert Frost once said that "education in English is properly a slow process of just staying around in the right company till you can speak and handle a book in the author's presence without setting his teeth on edge" (as quoted in George Anderson's "Bread Loaf School of English: The First Fifty Years, Middlebury: Middlebury Press, 1969, p. 33).

This book is very useful in giving you ideas on how to teach literary theory to those who are unfamiliar with it. The great thing about this text is that the examples they give you can be substituted for any kind of book, whether it is adolescent literature or something in the curriculum that you are teaching. I am enjoying learning about teaching literary theory and I cannot wait to get into the classroom and use some of these ideas with my students!

Mastering Critical theory on a college level is sufficiently imposing so that to learn it on a high school level is seen as even more so. In CRITICAL ENCOUNTERS IN HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH, Deborah Applebaum proves that the teaching of it and the learning of it need not be the insurmountable obstacle that many a harried college student often perceives it to be. Applebaum writes this text for the high school teacher who may not know much more theory than the very students whom she hopes to teach. Until recently, college courses in theory were not required for English majors and even for those who have taken a course or two, this book is a helpful reminder as to what theory is, how to apply it, and perhaps even more importantly, how to justify teaching it to teenagers who already groan under what they will undoubtedly see as simply one more "hard" subject to master in their senior year.

The first chapter, "The Case for Critical Theory in the Classroom," is teacher-oriented in that Applebaum anticipates potential pitfalls for the teacher who wishes to include critical theory in a typical high school curriculum. She acknowledges that there is "tension between presenting literature as cultural artifacts...for those who favor a more progressive approach to education." This tension she suggests can be reduced by forthrightly examining "our notions of what literacy is, of what students should read, and of what it means to read well." Critical theory she sees as the lever by which all this may be done.

In the second chapter, "Through the Looking Glass: Introducing Multiple Perspectives," Applebaum addresses the advantage that theory has over the standard one-size-fits-all paradigm of the typical approach to high school literary analysis that focuses on plot, setting, character, and symbolism. Since theory by its very nature is multi-dimensional, students can benefit by viewing texts under varying lenses, all of which require close reading, resulting in enhanced understanding of that text.

Since this text is designed for high school seniors, Applebaum wisely decided to limit her choices of theory to Reader-Response, Marxism, Feminism, and Deconstructionism. Her analyses and examples of each school are sufficiently clear so that college students who desire a jargon-free text can look here for relief. Applebaum also has a most useful chapter, perhaps even more so for college students, on "Reading the World as Text," where her students describe how they used selected theories to understand articles, movies, books, and advertisements that might have otherwise resisted more conventional approaches. Reading the World is an ambitious undertaking, but Applebaum judiciously shows how high school teachers can expose their students to the literary side of it.

Like Wiggins' book on Essential Questions,Understanding By Design Expanded 2nd Edition Critical Encounters is a book that has changed my approach to teaching. Unlike Understanding by Design, this one applies directly to my role as an English teacher.

There are so few books out there on methodology that combine theory and practice the way that Appleman's book does. It's worth the price for this alone. I agree with another reviewer about the over-emphasis on student work examples and anecdotes (I skimmed over many of these), but the practical strategies and lessons to use with high school English students are invaluable. Most get the students involved and doing the work. These strategies require students to think about what they read and to respond to what they read critically.

If you're tired of the typical Reader-Response papers you've been requiring and/or receiving from students who are capable of much deeper thinking, buy this book!

This is a fascinating account of growing up as an Irish American in the mid 20th century told with dark Irish humor but always with love. It is one of the best accounts of the true impact of depression on the family as well as the individual. One of the best books I have read in the past year.

I LOVED this book. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down.

I grew up in the same Boston suburb as the author, in a family spiraling in similar downward economic mobility, and I'm about the same age as the author, so many of her experiences mirrored my own. Her mirror brought me surprising clarity and compassion with regard to my parents' struggles and the impact their struggles had on my own growing up.

I'm a psychologist now. When I look at this book from my professional viewpoint, as someone who treats and writes about depression, I also feel that it's a terrific resource. I will be recommending it to adults I treat for recurrent depressive episodes.

The author's depressions started when she was an adolescent, and continued intermittently through much of her adult life. Watching her gain understanding and mastery over this depressive tendency gave me a deeper understanding of how I can help the depressed individuals with whom I work.

BRAVO to the author, and thanks!

I just couldn't put this book down. This helped me understand so much about myself and my family...and how we've all been shaped by the past. O'brien's humor and warmth stay with you long after you've read the book. A must read for anyone who comes from a family.

I read this book for the reasons I think most people would read a book with this subtitle - to see if I could identify with the author and perhaps gain some new insight from her experience. As I progressed through it, I was amazed by the congruence of our experiences, but felt a rising call to let the author know her conclusions left me wondering how she could have missed the bigger picture, the common denominations that make it possible for her to connect with people who do not have her specific family history. Ms. O'Brien traces her depression to Irish history, specifically to simply being Irish and a descendant of the town the famine hit hardest. But my own family history has not a drop of Irish in it and I turned down page after page of parallels in her experience and mine. I wanted to tell her, "forget the Irish, already, and focus on the feelings, the reactions to loss and shame that make us all human." Another thread in her story is her almost worshipful attachment to her father. My relationship to my own was similar and I also never married. Yet, when a therapist gives her some insight into how it has affected her, she rejects completely the opportunity to learn something from it and trashes the therapist. So... I am glad I read her book, to find there are others who have lived a life very much in many ways like my own, but I don't feel I was hearing wisdom from the writer and that disappointed me.

O'Brien has written a "Memoir of Depression and Inheritance" and she succeeds brilliantly in all of these intentions. This book works beautifully as a memoir, evoking in three dimensions, in colour and almost with smells and sounds, the world of upper-middle class expectations and genteel failure and the anxieties of her parents, and the alternative world of Elmira, which to me has the ring of a magic land. The people - mother, father, siblings, aunts - are whole and understandable and believable and sympathetic. The whole world within which the author strives to grow up is real and immediate on the page.

More than a memoir, O'Brien has the ambition of understanding inheritance. Her book links behaviour and consequence and puts forward explanations and theories of action and traces the interconnecting threads that link relative with relative and past with outcome. This does not obtrude in the narrative: her skill in writing presents these insights as natural extensionds to the momentum of the absorbing story.

The inheritance that is at the centre of O'Brien's understanding is the inheritance of depression. She addresses this with subtlety - she understands, and manages to present the complexity of inheritance and upbringing, accident and fate, biochemistry and environment, individual and social history. She is also alert to the accidents of everyday life that contribute to, and often trigger depression. I love her " `occasions of depression' which the vulnerable among us need to avoid or manage carefully." (p. 159) on the analogy of the "occasions of sin" that beset the unwary Roman Catholic.

The framework for a real humane psychology should be biography, and the complex threads through which a biography is realized. O'Brien's beautiful book is a contribution to this true science of psychology. The fact that it is contained in this insightful memoir and is presented in superb language probably means that it will never feature in psychology reading lists, but it should (though the first reviewer here gives us hope!).

This book was a good overview of the War of 1812, a critical piece of American history that, in my experience, has been virtually ignored in the curriculum of American education. The war was critical in that it defined the separation of and the border of Canada and the U.S. I picked this book from among the others on this subject because it was written from the Canadian perspective, and even by a descendant of the commander of the British--Canadian forces during the war. I wanted this Canadian perspective to avoid any "glorification" bias that might be found in an American perspective. What I wanted was as much of an objective account as possible, and I do think that the author is fair in his account and (conversely) not unduly anti-American. Sometimes I felt that I got bogged down with some details, but that may have to do with my purpose in reading the book: namely, to get an overall understanding of the war. I also would have liked to have more maps throughout the text so as to better understand the described events. Overall, I liked the book and learned much from it.

This is a great book about the American attempt to take Canada. This book is written from the Canadian point of view and concentrates on the War on the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River and New York, especially the Niagara Frontier. The book is even handed in its approach to both sides. The book is well written and has good maps of the different campaign regions and many of the individual battles. The American plan for the conquest of Canada involved a four pronged assault from Detriot, Western New York across the Niagara River, and down the St Lawrence and Richelieu rivers to Montreal and Quebec. The British were able to defeat all these attempts and evened captured the area that would become Michigan. For the next two years the conflict would swing back and forth as each side gained the upper hand and lost it. Since this war was fought by both sides at the edge of the frontier, control of the Great Lakes, the easiest way to move men and material, was paramount. The biggest problem for the British Governor Prevost was how to hold this vast land with a few regements of British regulars and Canadian miltia. Pictures of many of the principles, uniformed soldiersand some of the batles also add to the narative. The author believes that the War of 1812 marked the beginning of a Canadian identity, when they came together as a people against an external foe. I would recommend this book to an serious student of the war of 1812.

One of if not the best book I have read about the War of 1812. I would recommend this book to anyone.

This is an excellent, if a bit dry, source for the Canadian (or British Canada as it was then) view of the War of 1812. You will have trouble finding very much about the conflict from the American viewpoint. In fact, execpt for a few references, all of the battles are seen from the Canadian prospective.

This is a serviceable account of the war of 1812 from the British-Canadian perspective. Though lacking the color of some other books on this conflict, most noteably John Elting's "Ameteuers To Arms" the author does not suffer from national bias like many American writers do. The account is straight forward and pretty direct, providing a decent overview of the situation in British North America on the outbreak of war in 1812.

This updated version by Donald Graves, a noted Canadian expert on many of the battles of the war, provides many good maps, pictures, and detailed addenda. In particular the addenda concerning the contemporary and current names of the various British and Canadian regiments that fought in the war provides good supporting background. While the author writes pretty much free of national bias, his main point is that the war in Canada was largely fought and won by British regulars. Popular Canadian perceptions have the militia getting all the credit for repelling the various inept US invasions. This is simply not so. To the British 8th, 41st and 49th regiments of foot, who virtually alone stood on the frontier in 1812 against the Americans, must go the lionshare of credit in preventing Canada's conquest. The author points out that most Canadian militia did little or no fighting, the exception being some of the good fencible units that were raised.

Since this is an older work we don't have all the eulogies for the plight of the Indians under Tecumseh. When Hitsman was writing political correctness had not crept into works like this yet. Tecumseh and his warriors certainly get their mention, but we are not subjected to the great praise that most current works seem required to give. Yes, the great Shawnee Chief was important in defending Canada as well, but it was the daring of Isaac Brock with a handful of British regulars that humbled inept and grandiose American plans in the pivotal first few weeks of the war. The US was fortunate that Brock was lost to the Anglo-Canadians early in the conflict, had he lived longer no dout he would have inflicted other great defeats on the Americans.

Hitsman provides a good general overview of the war, and while his emphasis is Anglo-Canadian we are not left in the dark as to American plans and operations. Where this book differs from most American accounts is in the importance of mentioning the battles of 1814 around Washington and the British defeat at New Orleans. These get some attention, but not as much as one might be accustomed to in most American books on the war. Overall a decent work, and a good starting point from the Anglo-Canadian perspective. Readers might wish to get more of the American side from the numerous other books in print, but in the end they were still come to appreciate this concise work from the opposite side.

Patrick Hogan's book is an excellent insight into the North American invasion of Mexico. Although not particularly well written, it does get the message across extremely well. However, as a Scot living in Mexico, and one who has read the book, visited the memorial plaque in San Angel and the ex-convent at Churubusco and will attend the memorial service at San Angel in September,I feel that potential readers should be aware that not only Irishmen fought and died in the St Patrick's Batallion. One look at the names on the memorial plaque should get that message across - it was a multinational force made up predominantly, but not solely, of Irishmen.

Michael Hogan's exciting and exacting non-fiction book about young soldiers trapped between their Church and their new country's imperialism strips away much of the nonsense surrounding the Mexican-American war. America's first unpopular war, a war designed to add slave states to the South and ultimately to bring about the Civil War, is shown in a new light. The brutal execution of the Irish Brigade soldiers, in contravention of all the rules of war and simple morality is bound to cause us to see our history for what much of it has been: conquering and often destroying weaker people. Hogan has given us all valuable lessons that should guide our national policy in the future.

Michael Hogan provides a fascinating look at the fate of the Irish who chose to fight for Catholic Mexico against the predominantly Protestant US. His work offers an excellent summary of the US Invasion of Mexico, which is virutally ignored by US history books as well as a focus on the special circumstances encountered by the Irish in the American Armies, some of whom decided that they preferred the other side in the conflict. It is well researched and written, and the narrative is very well supported by maps, photos, and illustrations

A friend loaned me a copy of this startling book and I had to have a copy for my own library. What an eye-opener! Not only does Hogan give us startling insights in Irish history and immigration, but he reveals facts about the U.S. war with Mexico that I for one was never taught in school. And who knew that the death of these Irishmen in Mexico was "the largest hanging affair in North America"? Also interesting is the fact that while this book is required reading in Mexico, it is not even carried in U.S. bookstores. As far as I could find, amazon.com is the only place it's available. Excited to see that Hogan has a novel out now entitled" Molly Malone and the San Patricios" which has won a major fiction award in Mexico. If the novel is half as good as the history, Hogan will be a household name (at least among Irish-Americans) before long. Thanks amazon.com for making these books available to the U.S. public.

As a full-time teacher working in Mexico I have found it hard to find a fair and factual account of the Mexican War, with the exception of Michael Hogan's The Irish Soldiers of Mexico. Eisenhower's book on the war is obviously biased toward justifying the American invasion, Shaara's novel is merely light entertainment and makes no attempt to be historically ballanced. Hogan's Irish Soldiers, on the other hand, is not only well-researched and well-documented but his is the only work which draws heavily on Mexican journals, manuscripts and archives. It also clarifies the reasons for the war, and the active participation of immigrant people (most notably Irish but also Scots and Germans) who joined the Mexican side and paid for that decision with their lives. As Mexico and the United States draw ever closer as neighbors, trading partners, and allies it is important that we come to understand this period of our mutual past through the clear lens of even-handed history, reading about it not only from U.S. sources and documents but from Mexican and European sources as well. Michael Hogan has provided an invaluable service. It is the only major book by a foreigner which is used in Mexican universities today. The rest are consider merely propaganda.

I found this book as enjoyable--and helpful--as anything I've read by Lewis. He gives concise, wise, friendly advice and encouragement to an unnamed correspondent, and, in the process, reveals much about his own Christian walk. Very readable!

This is a lovely short book. Lewis' correspondent has her share of health problems, money worries, and family and work troubles. He shows himself a kind and generous man, spiritually encouraging this woman whom he was never to meet, as well as helping her financially. He has a kind and tactful way of expressing himself when they disagree. This book shows a very human side of Lewis. I found his advice very pertinent.

This book is a collection of letters written by C. S. Lewis to an American woman during the last 13 years of his life. I found it pretty dull reading at first. The book only contains Lewis' half of the conversation and most of the letters are pretty short or deal with trivial matters. But, for those who are interested in a more of a personal glimpse of Lewis there are some interesting insights offered: Like what he thought about what journalists have written about him in papers and magazines, his correspondence during the years of his marriage to Joy Davidman (and after her death), the heaviness of the load of correspondence he carried on with many people. Lewis appears to have seen letter writing as more of a duty than a pleasure. He often complained that the load of personal mail made his life miserable, especially at Christmastime. Yet he seems to have faithfully read and answered all those letters.

Toward the end of the book the letters get more lengthy and and interesting. I was particularly struck by Lewis' attitude toward dying. He was able to look forward to his eventual death with a genuine hope and longing for the better world beyond these "shadowlands" and he was able to encourage this lady along those lines through the problems they both had with aging and poor health. I hope such a mature attitude of faith will be mine also when my time comes. It is the hallmark of a life lived for the glory and love of God.

I read this book when I was just a teenager and I still refer to it for its profound yet gentle encouragement and open-hearted sincerity. Beautiful book by a beautiful Christian man who lived and practiced his faith. His humility and sweet nature are very evident in the pages of this little book.

Of course CS Lewis has proven to be the most popular Christian author of the 20th century. And for good reason. He's articulate, well-reasoned, and he certainly has a way with words. This book gives an inside look at Lewis as he corresponds with an American woman whom he apparently never met. The letters were written between 1950 until he died in 1963. If you like reading other peoples' mail (what is it, esp. we Americans have, with such things?), then this can make for interesting reading. Much of what he says here, though, is pretty trivial and doesn't get very deep. But if you want a personal glimpse of Lewis, its probably worth the read.

I am quite surprised by the reviewers who claim that this is Cornell Woolrich's best work. I very much like Woolrich's writing style and have read a number Woolrich stories and a few of his novels as well. I am very much willing to tolerate somewhat implausible situtions and incredible coincidences for suspense, characters and atmosphere. But this novel is essentially a suspense thriller with a plot so unrealistic that it strains credibility. To make matters worse, unlike "Randezvous in Black", this is not Woolrich at his poetic best and the characters in "Phantom Lady" are simply not as compelling as his characters usually are. Having said that, this is still a good read, if you want a page turner above all else.

Step into Gotham City circa 1947 where you take a few steps into a local pub to get away from your wife, and by chance meet an interesting young lady, take her a few other night spots, then come home, and bang, your wife is dead! Not pleasant, especially when you can find no one in the great city to vouch for your alibi! The police arrive, and their suggestion that you may be the culprit is enough to give you the creeps. And the police detective in charge happens to be a good friend from way back, who also does not seem convinced of your innocence. So, you have 24 hours to prove yourself and the clock keeps ticking into the moment when your life may very well be through! This great thriller/ noir author spun many hard boiled tales where the lead character seems guilty, and has to prove his innocence, a nice twist on the "innocent before proven guilty" idea on which our system is (supposedly) based. PHANTOM LADY may be his best!

When you see an opening chapter of a book titled `The Hundred and Fiftieth Day Before the Execution', as this one is, you get an immediate impression of what lies ahead, as well as a sense of inevitable doom. I found this to be a very clever method of piquing the interest, compelling me to read on.

The man facing execution is Scott Henderson, and we meet him as the story opens when he picks up a girl in a bar based solely on her outrageous hat. For some reason he's in a foul mood and pays her little attention, even though he takes her out to dinner, a theatre show and then back to the bar. When he gets home to his apartment he is greeted by the police...and the body of his strangled wife. Things start getting really interesting from here on out.

We find the story revolving around the careful recounting of Scott Henderson's movements on that night as he desperately tries to establish an alibi. As the title of the book suggests, the lady he was with that night has disappeared, leaving him in deep trouble. Chapter by chapter the clock ticks down building tension and adding an enormous feeling of desperation to the search. Three people, each of whom is willing to put themselves in danger to see that justice is served, conduct the search for that elusive alibi. Firstly, Henderson's girlfriend / mistress gets herself deeply involved, at times placing herself in extreme danger. The second person is an old school friend who Henderson calls, in the belief that he is the only person who would care enough to help. And thirdly, and most surprisingly, is the police officer that was instrumental in seeing Henderson convicted. He begins to hold grave misgivings about his guilt and provides the impetus behind their quest.

Cornell Woolrich expertly weaves an exhausting tale as lead after lead is explored in an all out effort to save Scott Henderson's life. As can be expected, given the nature of the chapter titles, the story culminates in a nail-biting ending, making it a most satisfying reading experience.

'Phantom Lady' by Cornell Woolrich (as William Irish) is an extremely enjoyable pulp fiction read. While the author is known for his storytelling abilities rather than literay skills (prose/characterizations), and he has written plenty of shoddy and ridiculous stuff, 'Phantom Lady' is a classic page-turner. I personally rate this on par with his excellent 'Waltz Into Darkness' as his best (..or at least among the dozen Woolrich novels I've read, plus many more short stories).

In 'Phantom Lady' we have a man wrongly accused of murder (of his wife) sitting on death row. The only person who can verify his alibi is a nameless and non-descript woman he shared an otherwise forgettable evening with. As the clock ticks towards his final hour we are entertained with a mad chase to find this woman. Believable? Let's just say it's all barely plausible, which was enough to keep this reader thoroughly entertained.


Bottom line: a real treat for Woolrich fans. A must read.

Even if this one is not quite as powerful as "I Married A Dead Man", and the ending doesn't pay off quite as fully as you might hope, it is still a very involving and typically stylish piece of storytelling that grabs you in chapter one and holds on tight till it's done with you. It also contains one of the most powerful single chapters I've ever read- a set piece in which a mysterious woman stalks a bartender simply by staring at him and following him until his nerves begin to crumble- which could stand alone as a short story superior to the novel as a whole. As a reading experience, this is a genuine treat, and the book itself- a faithful facsimile of the first edition- is beautiful to look at and a great pleasure to own. A bargain at the original price and a steal on sale. Thank you again, Otto Penzler.

For some reason most poetry does not really resonate with me. One of the only poets I can stand is T.S. Eliot. His poetry is absurd and lyrical, providing just the barest glimpses at the underlying meaning. But the images stay with me.

T.S. Eliot is a major figure in 20th century literature for criticism, publishing and poetry. On the critical front he is known for his �rediscovery� of the Metaphysical poets Donne and Marvell, his collections of essays �The Sacred Wood� and �The Use of Poetry and the Use of Criticism�; as a publisher he was a director of Faber and built up a stable of �modern� poets such as Auden and Ezra Pound.

It is, however, for his poetry that he will surely last and this collection gives a marvelous selection of his works. The first poem in this collection �The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock� is a masterwork with superb imagery and a marvelous sense of humour and irony as it gives us the words of a man who seems much older than Eliot must have been when he wrote it, it was first published while he was in his twenties.

While some of his poetry seems to miss the mark as too dense and perhaps overly constructed others have rich layers of imagery and allusion that reward a little effort and rereading with a sense of large and vivid meaning and depth. �The Waste Land�, one of Eliot�s most famous poems and responsible, along with other poems of the period such as �The Hollow Men�, in giving Eliot a reputation as one of the �disillusioned� modern poets. Eliot denied this, saying he gave �the illusion of being disillusioned.� �The Wasteland is four hundred lines long and is quite enigmatic, some scholars have said that it may have been less enigmatic before Ezra Pound helped and convinced Eliot to cut it back from an original 800 lines.

The last major work in this volume is �The Four Quartets.� It is impossible in a short review to summarise the brilliance of these works. Written in the late thirties they are a masterful summation of the concerns of Eliot�s earlier works and a culmination of his examination of his own personal Christianity.

Between these three peaks are many works almost their equal. �Sweeney Agonistes�, �Ash Wednesday�, �The Hollow Men�, and excerpts from the �The Rock� among them.

To conclude this collection is a wonderful summary of the poetic works of one of the major literary figures of the twentieth century. For a complete overview of Eliot you should read at least one of his plays (�Murder In The Cathedral� is my favourite) and one of his volumes of critical essays such as the two mentioned earlier. I would recommend this volume to anyone who enjoys poetry, particularly those who enjoy reading poetry over and over again.

I admit I don't know a lot about poetry. For that reason I acknowledge that my review of Eliot's work is written with deference to other reviewers, i.e., I rely on their comments after having read Eliot's work. So this review is somewhat synergistic in that I've taken their comments into account as I offer my own observations.

One of my favorites in this work is from "Choruses From 'The Rock'":

"The Lord who created must wich us to create and employ our creation again in His service.
Which is already His service in creating.
For man is joined spirit and body.
Visible and invisible, two worlds meet in man;
Visible and invisible must meet in His temple;
You must not deny the body.
...For the work of creation is never without travail;"

It took me sometime before I could genuinely come to understand and appreciate his poetry: yet, nevertheless, the writings of American-born, anglocized author T.S Eliot have always held a peculiar fascination for me, and, it seems, for a number of other writers and laypeople as well. From the personal yet somehow universal, melancholy and self-doubting music of "The love song of J. Alfred Prufrock" to the wild, multi-cultural, history spanning visions of urban chaos in "The Wasteland", Eliot's oeuvre is rich in religious, political, and philosophical themes, and played an enormous role in shaping the development of poetry in the twentieth-century (not to mention, on an obviously less signficant level, my own writing). Reading Eliot's serious poetry, however, requires a great deal of analytical prowess and is often a rather depressing experience (particularly in the beautiful "Prufrock"): nevertheless, those with patience will find that it is richly rewarding and can be appreciated on a superificial level simply for the entrancing rhythm of the music and haunting nature of the imagery, which, though informed by a number of sources, including Shakespeare, Dante, and Baudelaire, are written in a voice which is always distinctive and wholly original.

If you can only get one book of poems, get this one. It has the most important poems before "Four Quartets". If you want more,get also "Four Quartets" and "Murder in the Cathedral" or, even better, get the collected poems.

Okay, so this wasn't as boring as Eragon(perhaps worst written book I've read in a long time, but I digress), and it was certainly well- written....but all in all I'd say it was just plain long. You will get a good feel for the hardships these poor people faced, but sheesh, they didn't get to America for how many pgs???
As for overdetailing things, you'll prob know the character's middle names, favorite food, and birthmarks by the end.

I read these books years ago when I was twelve or thirteen. I honestly couldn't put the books down once I started, I devoured them in every sense of the word and was not dissapointed. This book sparked in me a love for history and literature that I don't think ever will be quenched. My teachers that year were I think a bit shocked when I decided to pick the Irish Potato Famine as the topic for my research/presentation project. LOL You won't be dissapointed with this book or series, you will be left wanting more like I was.

My friend got this book from the library when I was fourteen or so... I remember she kept telling me what a WONDERFUL, AMAZING book it was, and I could only think, "What on earth could be interesting about the potato famine?" She went on to read the rest of the series, and eventually through telling me more about the story, I became extremely interested, and when I read it it surpassed my wildest hopes. Of course, as I said, I was fourteen or fifteen, and girls that age live on this kind of book. I did live on it. I read it in two days and had to wait a whole week to meet my friend at church and get the second one from her.

But enough on how I found B.J.Hoff... The "Emerald Ballad" series is the best series of books that I think I've ever read. I don't get into romance novels like Grace Livingston Hill or Janette Oke or Beverly Whats-her-name that writes the Amish soap operas - I find them pretty predictable and tacky... With B.J. Hoff I never knew what was going to happen, and she made it all seem so REAL. I have read all five of the books in this series through at least three times, some I've read four or five times. This first one is the best, and could stand alone. It's after you read the second book that you know you HAVE to read the rest.

The story is, essentially, about three people - Nora Kavanagh, Michael Burke, and Morgan Fitzgerald. They were friends in childhood and went separate ways as adults. Nora married, Michael went to New York, and Morgan is a wandering dreamer who writes poetry, plays the harp, and is obsessively devoted to Ireland. It's been a while since I last read the book, so I'm not good with details, but this book has famine, fear, death, romance, white slavers, evil landlords, stuttering Englishmen, near hangings, one killing, one chase scene (what's a good story without at least one chase scene? That was Alfred Hitchcock's idea). But more than anything else, God is the centre of this story, providing all the central people with faith to pull through all the events and survive all the villains I mentioned above.

You should definitely give this book a try. Now that I'm a bit older, it's no longer the staple and sustenance of my literary life but I still enjoy them once in a while and fondly cherish the memories of my friend and I going ga-ga over Morgan.

Let me say a few words about Morgan. For one thing, he's a great big tall guy. For two other things, he has copper hair (which the sun can light ablaze) and green eyes. He's poetic and musical, as I said, and whenever he talks, his choice of words is fittingly dramatic, just as if it came straight out of those dear old melodramatic 30's movies. Personally I find that pretty neato. I would say that he was definitely my favourite character. My friend liked him a lot, but she liked Michael more. I learnt to like Michael a lot toward the fourth read-through, but Morgan remained my favourite.

Okay, I believe I have waxed descriptive enough. If you want to know more, go get this book!

Five years ago as I was returning to upstae NY from a visit to my daughter in Texas, I asked her for a book to read as I had a long layover on the trip. She gave me the Song of the Silent Harp and my life changed forever. By the time the plane landed in NY, I was 3/4 of the way through it. I immediately called the Life Discovery Book Store locally and went over and bought the next four books in the Series. I read continually, only taking time out for the necessities, and was totally mesmerized by the stories. Let me say here, that both my parents were born in Ireland, and so much of the stories brought back memories of tales my parents told me about life in Ireland and their immigration to Upstate NY. I couldn't put the books down.

I had a wonderful Italian friend, Angie, who loved to read and had an empathy for the Irish so I bought her the set of books and her last note to me before she died, she thanked me for introducing her to the writings of B. J. Hoff. She claimed it was the best gift she ever got. I subsequently gave a set to my younger sister, who ws traveling to Italy, and she likewise was mesmerized with the books, even more so than her trip to Italy.

To read these books, the author gets you caught up in the story of what it was like to be Irish and an immigrant and makes me so proud to be of Irish descent. I have 10 grown children who are avid readers and the books are a real education for all of them and helps them understand the sacrifices their grandparents made and the hardships they overcame as immigrants. In the five years since I first read them, I have yet to read a book that left me with such wonderful feelings. I read that B.J. Hoff wrote these books from memories her grandmother shared with her about her life. The language is wonderful and can be read by anyone able to read. The books have a prominent spot on my bookcase. Thank you B. J. Hoff

I really like this book.It takes you from the dark dispair of the Great Famine of Ireland, to the shores of hope imigrating to the US. I was 1/2 way finished the book, and thought, I have to get the rest of the series! It also teaches about faith. You grow with the characters growth in faith. You can see that even in our darkest times, God does not abandon us. He's always there with us, and can use even the most dismal circumstances to bless us. Truley a good read!

This is an excellent compilation of writers and a bit of their story. I know that other reviewer's recommended this book for writers, but Ido not consider myself a writer in professional terms, and I still found it facinating.

Arana provides a backhistory of each writer introducing them, and then each author tells some aspect of how they handle the writing life. I enjoy being able to get "behind the scenes" and understand how a writer approaches their day...where they write, do they use a computer, etc. As she says in her introduction, she invited "seasoned writers to mull the craft" of their writing.

I agree that one can find writing inspiration in these pages. Studying the mechanics and practices of other writers is always enjoyable and enlightening. Sometimes one can find tricks and short cuts to emulate which then enhance one's own work, and that is certainly the case with The Writing Life. The problem that I had with it is due to its selection bias. In my opinion, it chronicled far too many journalists as opposed to outstanding writers. Many of the individuals are not people one considers to be luminaries at all. I picked up The Paris Review's Interviews book which is more satisfying in this regard. Obviously though, this text isn't devoid of value, but it depends on what you wish to use it for.

Arana bundles a life tapestry of professional experience, formal education, and school of hard knocks, in a motif of a writer's existence. This work is much more than just a mere compilation of WP Book World excerpts. Clearly, significant thought was devoted to the selection of her WP articles along with fundamentally pragmatic insights that are certain to be invaluable to anyone interested in the profession of writing or editing.

I love reading other authors' takes on "the writing life" and how they cope with or find inspiration from daily life to continue nurturing their creativity, motivation, and changing goals. This book surprised me with an extremely varied mix of writing advice and insight.

From dealing with publishers and the importance of self-marketing to dealing with the slack you get for your chosen genre not being as academically accepted or how to maintain a personal life along with your career...the authors in this collection cover it all. There's enough here to touch on any aspect of writing you may be dealing with or thinking about and will, no doubt, include many surprises you haven't realized you do need more information about.

Reading the collection introduced me to new authors, some with writing styles I fell in love with and intend to read more from, and made me think about so many aspects of the art of writing that I've since realized keys for improving my own novel and new directions I want to go in in my own career.

This is the perfect gift for any writer you know...even if you have no idea what their own writing style or interests are. You'll make a better writer of them.

Over the years, I've read 'The Writing Life' segment found in many a Washington Post "Book World" section. Last spring, a writing instructor assigned Arana's collection of these articles for our outside class reading. I was pleased to find many of the articles I had previously enjoyed plus plenty I had not read combined in one volume, thus allowing me to purge the accordian file folder where I store such items.

Arana has selected some of the best pieces for her volume, and prefaced each with a short introduction of the author. In some cases I reread segments by favorite authors, and in other cases I had never read the author.

One author I've been meaning to try is Barbara Mertz. Haven't heard of her? She writes under the pen name Elizabeth Peters, and is the author of the the tales of the exploits of Amelia Peabody-Emerson, archeologist and sleuth. Now, I had thought about reading Peters, but had not done so because I have been trying to curb a hopeless addiction to mysteries and force myself to read things that "improved my mind." Peters, i.e. Mertz, says at age 60, she figures her mind "is about as good as it's going to get" and that statement and others she wrote made me laugh. Being from a long line of folks suffering from a bad case of the "Protestant ethic" I've always needed permission to have fun, and now that I am 63 I have it.

I read my first Peters novel (reviewed elsewhere) and ordered 6-7 more. Is this frivoluous, you bet. Will I keep it up, Hopefully!!

A previous reviewer stated:

The most unfortunate omission is the Healy family. In the early 1800s, Michael Healy, an Irish-born Georgia planter, purchased Mary Eliza, a mixed-race slave. Laws during the slavery era prohibited interracial marriages, but Michael and Mary Eliza carried out their family life as husband and wife. Their union produced 10 children. Three brothers entered the priesthood ---

James Healy was the first black American to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest. He later became Bishop of Portland Maine (certainly another first), where he provided distinguished leadership in pastoral work, education, social advocacy, and public welfare.

Sherwood Healy reportedly received a doctorate in Canon Law from the North American College in Rome in 1860.

Patrick Healy was ordained as a Jesuit priest, going on to serve as Georgetown University's prefect of studies from 1868 to 1878, and its president from 1873 to 1881 ---- the first African-American president of a predominantly white university. Healy Hall, one of Georgetown's major buildings is named in his honor.

Unlike his brothers, Michael Healy did not embark on an ecclesiastical career. He ultimately joined the US Revenue Service, the forerunner of today's US Coast Guard. He mostly served in the waters of Alaska, attaining the rank of Captain and the Commanding Officer of the BEAR. The Coast Guard icebreaker, HEALY, is named in his honor.

We know little of the remaining Healy children except that three of the girls became nuns, with one of them attaining the rank of Mother Superior of her order.

Indeed the Healys were a distinguished Irish - American family.

____________

This is the problem. The Healy family was not black or African American. They were mixed whites and Irish American. No African American could have become Bishop of Portland, Maine or President of Georgetown University. It is dishonest to call the Healys "black" instead of Irish-American. They looked white and lived as Irish-Americans. The two siblings who married chose Irish-American spouses. Their descendants are all Irish-American and white. Enough said!


http://www.interracialvoice.com/powell8.html

Overall a very good book and a very scholarly work. The book's Introduction provides us a brief insight into O'Donnell's motive for embarking on this work:

This book ... is my answer to a question I've heard countless times in the past: Where can I find a book about the history of the Irish in America that is both accurate and accessible? My goal has been to write just such a book --- a fun yet factual look at the people and events that have marked Irish American history. I've brought to this task an inclusive approach that recognizes that Irish Americans always been characterized by an extraordinary diversity --- from religion to politics to class and identity. My inclusive approach has likewise led me to chronicle not simply the triumphs of Irish Americans, but also their failures.

I feel that in 1001 THINGS ..., O'Donnell met his goal!

I'm a regular reader of O'Donnell's weekly Hibernian Chronicle column in the Irish Echo. So his "easy to read and understand" writing style comes as no surprise to me. But the other user friendly features are: A sensible organization of 10 chapters; about 175 illustration or photographs; numbered entries, and a good index. Indeed the book is "accurate and accessible," and provides a handy reference to answer questions. Not only questions raised by others, but also questions that arise in one's mind while reading news accounts, books, watching films, etc.

I always rely on reading to reduce the ardors of travel. I001 THINGS ... is a perfect travel book. The individually numbered entries, in a flexible paperback book, are very compatible with "stop and go" reading in an airport terminal or in flight --- particularly in the 'hurry up and wait" environment of these post 9-11 days.

And the price? I purchased several copies because the price is reasonable, and it makes a great gift item. I generally trust my judgement. If I enjoy a book, the recipient of my gift probably will too.

I've read many reviews of 1001 THINGS ... All have been favorable. Overall I share that assessment.

But I'm a little disappointed about the omission of some notables.

The McCourts --- Frank, Malachy, and one or two other brothers we have yet to hear from --- are not mentioned. I first thought that perhaps O"Donnell only included personages no longer with us. But this doesn't appear to be the case. Live personages such as Michael Flatley, Jean Butler, The Berrigan brothers, and Ted Kennedy make the pages of 1000 THINGS ...

Then there is the omission of General O'Reilly, the second Spanish Governor of Louisiana. Yes, I was surprised too. Spain also ruled Louisiana. And a man with the decidedly Hispanic-Hibernian name of Alejandro O'Reilly was the second Spanish Governor of Louisiana. Indeed an interesting career in politics in the new world, for a descendant of a "Wild Geese" family.

The most unfortunate omission is the Healy family. In the early 1800s, Michael Healy, an Irish-born Georgia planter, purchased Mary Eliza, a mixed-race slave. Laws during the slavery era prohibited interracial marriages, but Michael and Mary Eliza carried out their family life as husband and wife. Their union produced 10 children. Three brothers entered the priesthood ---

James Healy was the first black American to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest. He later became Bishop of Portland Maine (certainly another first), where he provided distinguished leadership in pastoral work, education, social advocacy, and public welfare.

Sherwood Healy reportedly received a doctorate in Canon Law from the North American College in Rome in 1860.

Patrick Healy was ordained as a Jesuit priest, going on to serve as Georgetown University's prefect of studies from 1868 to 1878, and its president from 1873 to 1881 ---- the first African-American president of a predominantly white university. Healy Hall, one of Georgetown's major buildings is named in his honor.

Unlike his brothers, Michael Healy did not embark on an ecclesiastical career. He ultimately joined the US Revenue Service, the forerunner of today's US Coast Guard. He mostly served in the waters of Alaska, attaining the rank of Captain and the Commanding Officer of the BEAR. The Coast Guard icebreaker, HEALY, is named in his honor.

We know little of the remaining Healy children except that three of the girls became nuns, with one of them attaining the rank of Mother Superior of her order.

Indeed the Healys were a distinguished Irish - American family.

Aside from the omissions, 1001 THINGS ... is still a good book. I hope that O'Donnell will address the omissions with a future sequel to 1001 THINGS. Perhaps a suitable title might be ANOTHER 1001 THINGS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IRISH AMERICAN HISTORY. In the meantime, I'll keep distributing the current version as suitable gifts to friends.

Irish immigrants have played central roles in defining the American character and identity, sharing their history and resources for generations. 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish American Historys provides lively, concise surveys of Irish-American experiences, including both ancient Irish history and religion to modern surveys of Irish lives. A historical timeline format by topic allows readers quick and easy access to Irish facts, biographies of notable figures, and events.

This is a very large well organized book about Irish Americans through history. There are many small articles about various people, organizations and historic events. St. Patrick's day and it's parades are well covered here, as is appropriate at this time. Listed also are: all presidents with Irish ancestry, Irish American politicians, inventors, war heroes, and just about anything interesting that concerns the Irish. A St. Pat's Day must read!!!

I was able to borrow a copy from a friend. Now I think I may buy this book. The contributions of the Irish to our culture are so much wider and more meaningful that the trite and distorted leprachauns leaping around on St. Patrick's Day! And usually drunk at that. This book, written in a crisp and clear style, provides a refutation of that stereotype. It should be of interest to a much wider audience. Worth the money and time.