Irish-American Books

Deborah Tall, professor of English and Comparative Literature, died on October 19 at age 55 after two years of resisting inflammatory breast cancer, a rare, aggressive form of the disease. She had lived in Ithaca, N.Y., since 1990 with her husband of 27 years, David Weiss, and their daughters, Zoe and Clea Weiss.

Since 1982, Tall taught at Hobart and William Smith where she was named The John Milton Potter Professor of Humanities and won the 2001 Faculty Scholarship Award, as well as numerous faculty research grants. She was editor of the literary journal Seneca Review.

"Deborah was deeply admired throughout our community and far beyond," said President Mark D. Gearan. "She inspired us with her original talent as a writer and her dedication to literature, teaching, her family and her friends. Those close to her will be able to share their memories in a public celebration of her life to be held on campus this fall."

Both a poet and nonfiction writer, she was published widely and gave readings and talks around the world. Her books include Summons, which was selected by Charles Simic for the Katherine A. Morton Poetry Prize in 1999; The Island of the White Cow; From Where We Stand: Recovering a Sense of Place; and The Poet's Notebook, which she co-edited with Hobart alumnus Stephen Kuusisto and Hobart and William Smith Professor of English David Weiss. A memoir, A Family of Strangers, has just come out this fall from Sarabande Books.

Born in Washington, D.C., she grew up in the Philadelphia area and spent five formative years on Inishbofin, off the west coast of Ireland. She earned a B.S. in English from the University of Michigan and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Goddard College.

This memoir describes the time period from 1972 to 1977. It is both a book about Ireland, and a book about college-educated Americans. As a book about Ireland, it is a beautifully written memoir of five years on the small island of Inishbofin. We learn much about the islanders and their hopes and frustrations. Although the book talks much about their struggles with isolation, drink, joblessness, family troubles and jealousies, the overall effect is more uplifting than depressing.

The book is also a record of the way that young, educated Americans encountered the world in the sixties and seventies -- through travel, study, the Peace Corps and many other ways. In the wake of the Sixties, many were seeking new ideas for living and new models of community relations. Some, such as Deborah Tall, hoped to find inspiration for art or writing in their pilgrimages to remote and isolated places. At the time, the far corners of Europe were still quite primitive, and part of Deborah Tall's experience was coping without electricity and running water. Now, of course, Inishbofin has telephones and websites and one would have to go much further afield for as exotic a cultural experience.

The writing in the book is very finely crafted, and its words are carefully chosen. Occasionally the author's prose becomes slightly mannered, but overall she is a pleasure to read and the book merits a continued audience.

In this book, Deborah Tall describes life on Inishbofind, 'Island of the White Cow', a remote island off the coast of western Ireland. An American herself, she meets an Irish writer who gives a lecture at her university. They fall in love and she follows him to the island, far away from the distractions of bustling city life, where they both try to make a living as writers. She describes her stay as if it were one year, divided into four seasons. In actuality, Deborah Tall lived on the island for five years.

I loved this book. Having lived in Ireland for a number of years, this made for a great read. The descriptions of the beauty and harsh life on this barren island, always open to the western winds, were very recognisable. Life feels different on these small islands. Even though it is only a few miles to the mainland, it seems infinitely far removed, and people don't even consider themselves part of Ireland. Life on the island is like living in the past. Inishbofind does not have a doctor. It has no dentist (one comes over periodically to pull teeth - nothing fancy like plaque removal here). There is no secondary education. It has only one telephone. There is no running water.
What it does have is charm, some very interesting people and, above all, quiet.

The islanders are much like the island itself: rugged on one hand, charming on the other. They are always up for a story, always good for a song, always in for a drink, always ready for a new audience. As the book goes on, and once Deborah Tall and 'Owen' are more accepted by the locals, one gets glimpses of the real emotions of the people on Inishbofind, an island slowly losing more and more people - mostly young ones - to the main land.
On one hand, people are helpful, friendly and interested in the new arrivals. On the other hand, there is bitterness, resignation, resentfulness, frustration, desperation and jealousy. And always, there is pride.

This book describes life as it really is on an island - not a tourist experience. If you are looking for a book on how wonderful everything about Ireland is, you may want to read a travel guide. If you are looking to read about Ireland, this is definitely a good choice.

If you have small children, or grand-children, you owe it to them to read "Jabberwocky" to them. Every day. Ideally, with the lights off, in a low and menacing voice. Hopefully you know it by heart (and you remember that it's "borogoves" WITHOUT the "r", not "borogroves"). If not, you'll need this book. It's more convenient than lugging around a "Complete Works", with or without Martin Gardener's annotations. As a bonus, you'll get some of Lewis Carroll's less well known (but still delightful) poems. I recommend "You are old, Father William", which is the perfect opportunity to really overact.

"And the mome raths outgrabe." And don't you forget it!!

Lewis Carroll is best known as the warped mind that brought us "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass." He was also a poet. Not an introspective, pensive, or anguished poet, but someone who spun up little nonsense rhymes.

Several are selected from Carroll's best-known books, such as "The Mouse's Tale," where the content isn't too interesting... but the poem itself is shaped like a mouse's tail. Another is "Jabberwocky," the famed poem about a young man who slays a monster. At least half the words are made up. ("Beware the Jabberwock, my son!/The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!/ Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun/the frumious Bandersnatch!")

There is also a selection of his early poetry and his non-Alice poetry, such as the "Mad Gardener's Song," where a gardener spends most of his time hallucinating: "He thought he saw an Elephant,/That practised on a fife:/He looked again, and found it was/A letter from his wife.'" Okay, whatever. Poems are included from the little-known "Phantasmagorica," "Sylvie and Bruno," and other collections.

"How shall I be a poet?/How shall I write in rhyme?" Carroll inquires in "Poeta Fit, Non Nascitur," a pleasant little poem about writing poetry. His poetry tends to be comedic, but there are a few that are halfway serious, such as "Sea Dirge," a poem entirely devoted to Carroll's aquaphobia. No, it's not downbeat, but it isn't exactly goofball poetry either.

The whimsical insanity of Carroll's poetry is what makes it so appealing. Technically it's pretty ordinary, with the flaw of making up words to insure rhyme schemes. But somehow his poetry is so colorful and funny that the flaws aren't much of a downside -- especially "Jabberwocky," where the whole appeal of the poem is that it's utter nonsense.

Anyone who has read "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass" can't help but notice Carroll's whimsical, creative poetry. And "Jabberwocky and Other Poems" is a pretty good introduction to his kooky verse.

"Jabberwocky and Other Poems," by Lewis Carroll, is an inspired collection by this remarkable writer. A brief note at the beginning of the book discusses the life and career of Carroll (1832-98), who was a mathematician as well as a poet. The selections in this book are taken from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," "Through the Looking Glass," and other sources.

This collection shows Carroll's quirky, mischievous playfulness as well as his technical prowess with rhyme, meter, and wordplay. He is consistently inventive and often satirical. The book is very funny, often quite absurd, and has an occasional dark, sinister edge.

Just a few of the highlights are as follows. "The Mouse's Tale": a visual poem shaped like a mouse's tale. "Brother and Sister": a hilarious tribute to sibling rivalry that uses an interesting rhyme scheme. "The Walrus and the Carpenter": a sort of narrative horror-comedy with rich touches of absurdism. "Poeta Fit, non Nascitur": a hilarious satire on the art of writing poetry. And of course, the brilliant title poem, with its memorable opening: "'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves / Did gyre and gimble in the wabe."

This is the first book of a 3(so far)-book series. It's one of those "feel good" books. I LOVED IT! In fact, I've read all three and hope that there are more to come.

Guy meets girl. They have a developing relationship with some wrinkles and conflicts along the way. Dani's parents died when she was 18. She dropped out of school to work so she could support and take care of her two younger brothers. As a result, there is a wonderfully warm family relationship among Dani and her brothers. I prefer a little more suspense, mystery or humor. Nothing surprised or delighted me. But, it was nicely done if you're looking for a simple romance story. Story brief: Very rich self-made man sells his business after surviving an auto accident. He now manages his own investments and moves to Jamesville for a few months to decide what to do with his future. He meets and falls for Dani, who is very different from the sophisticated city women he is used to being with. She wants to be a virgin until her wedding night. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: two. Setting: current day small town Jamesville (5,000 people) in U.S. Copyright: 2006. Genre: contemporary romance.

The first time Dani O'Rourke meets Burke Black he thinks she is a man. The second time, he thinks she is a thief. Will the third time be the charm?

Burke Black is a man in need of change. Having spent the last few months recovering from an automobile accident, he reluctantly realizes that he has no one who really cares about him and that bothers him. After much debating and planning, he decides to pull up roots, sell his business, and head to a small town to think things over. What he doesn't know is that when he is supposed to be thinking, he is going to be falling in love.

Dani O'Rourke has spent the last eight years raising her younger brothers after the unexpected death of their parents. She has scrimped and saved and, at times, disregarded her own happiness to keep the family together. She doesn't regret a moment of it. However, when Dani sees Burke Black, she is a bit intimidated because she does not know anything about dating or being with a man. She is attracted to Burke and wants to date him; she just doesn't want to sleep with him until she is ready, much to the disappointment of Burke.

I was unsure of Burke at the beginning of Discovering Dani. He was so used to having women drop at his feet that I thought there would be no earthly way that he would wait for Dani to be sure about their relationship. That he was willing to wait for her, even though he didn't like it, shows that he had morals and I like that in a hero. As for Dani, the gal had guts and I am proud of her for waiting until she was totally sure before giving herself to Burke. It made their coming together and making love for the first time that much sweeter.

During the course of Discovering Dani, I found myself wanting the characters to make love because the intensity was so great. I had to keep reminding myself, however, that this book wasn't about coming together sexually. In my opinion, it was about discovering each other through trial and tribulations. N.J. Walters has penned a sweet romance with Discovering Dani. This book is just remarkable. The characters flow, the scenes are smooth, and I just liked it. It goes without saying that N. J. Walters is an author I look forward to reading over and over again.


Talia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Any book subtitled "An Irish Farce" is worth a thorough reading, and Killoyle was no disappointment. The story alternates between despair and hilarity - this is Ireland, after all - as it follows the lives of the inhabitants of Killoyle. Among many other folks, there is the aging editor of a glamour magazine, a waiter who is something of a poet, and the resident nutcase who likes making prank phone calls as much as he likes books by or about God. Of course, being a novel about Ireland, there are the requisite problems: drinking, sex, God, and Ireland itself.

The real genius of the novel is the footnotes, including gems like this one: "This round-buying will be the death of the Irish nation, you mark my words. Once I was conned into buying eleven rounds in the space of a single wet lunch, with no one else in the bar!" The persona of the footnotes provides comic relief, criticism, rude comments, and seemingly random filler throughout the text. However, from driving directions to snappy comebacks, the footnotes provide, as they should, the details that flesh out the story.

Besides being just plain fun to read, Killoyle is worth a look because Boylan rose to the challenge of doing something 'new' with the novel. I applaud him and his witty footnotes, and I highly recommend Killoyle if you are in the mood for a good yarn.

Brava, Mr. Boylan! It has been a long time since I read a book that made me laugh out loud, not just a titter here and there but frequent and hearty chuckles, chortles, and out and out belly laughs. Even rarer is the book that engages both your chortling mechanism and your mind. Killoyle does both. Slapstick and sophisticated simultaneously.

Killoyle is a book to be savored -- if you try to rush through it, I don't think you'll enjoy it. Roger Boylan's style demands a thoughtful, reflective pace of reading.

I think of Boylan as an Irish Nabokov. Like Nabokov, he is a virtuoso of language who apparently writes for the pure pleasure of doing so. And what fun he seems to have! His unpredictable, spontaneous flashes of merriment keep the reader entertained throughout.

I found the uniquely Irish charm of Killoyle so delightful that I have gone on an Irish literature binge since reading it: Joyce, Beckett, and Flann O'Brien. I can't thank Roger Boylan enough!

Although, I haven't actually read the play, I did just see it performed in Stratford, Ontario, at their annual Stratford Festival, with Amanda Plummer in the starring role. I can only say it was gripping and extremely well done, and Amanda Plummer (along with other Canadian big actor Martha Henry) was excellent. The playwright may be writing about a 15th Century young woman, but watching it on stage in today's political and historical circumstances, it sheds a whole different light. I encourage any reader of the play to consider various other historical periods and how they might apply to the themes of this play. This play, to me, uses Joan of Arc, as the storyline, but it is more about man's contradictory nature (among other themes). This Stratford director also set the costumes/set design during WWII, and watching it w/the Nazi/Concentration Camp overtones really made us think. It made for great dialogue with other theater-goers after the show. Definitely a must-see!

I saw this play many, many years ago on television, of all things! This was when TV was fairly new, and they really did know how to present fine drama to a fare-thee-well back then. I believe this presentation of Jean Anouilh's THE LARK was live, although I'm not sure. It starred Julie Harris. I'll never forget it. I was very small, and what I didn't understand my family explained to me.

I say I'll never forget it, but, now in my 50s, I can't remember a lot of the details. What I can't forget is how terribly powerful the play was, how gripping, how beautifully written, and what a spectacular performance Julie Harris gave. I don't think anyone can out-do her Joan of Arc (or her Nora of A DOLL'S HOUSE, for that matter--also performed on TV). To the best of my recollection, the play focuses on the trial of Joan of Arc for heresy, and the final verdict, and her execution.

What a rare and special treat that was, even to a small child. and a few years later, as I mentioned above, the rendition of A DOLL'S HOUSE, with Julie Harris's incomparable performance, as well as Christopher Plummer's--I have not forgotten that, either.

Do read Jean Anouilh's THE LARK.

I did my very first monologue from this play, when I took drama lessons as an adult. I am very attached to it, and this telling of the life of Joan of Arc is my favorite.

Excellent book! This is some of the best poetry you'll find anywhere, and its publication is a reason to rejoice! CAS excelled at a very dark and beautiful poetry and some of his best pieces are in here. It has some unreprinted material, as well as some poems that have seen very little light in the past. Great production values and three nice, full color paintings. I highly reommend it!

5.5" x 8.5" softcover book. 194 pages.

Most people might know the name Clark Ashton Smith for his forays into short fiction. These endeavors placed him within the trinity of Weird Tales authors, a position shared with H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard. Though few might recognize him as the "poetic prodigy on the order of Keats and Shelley" he was announced as in 1912 (at the tender age of 19) by "readers and critics alike". Under the guidance of George Sterling, at the time "the reigning literary figure of San Francisco", Smith blossomed into what he should be recognized as: "one of the premier American poets of the twentieth century".

Included within the pages of The Last Oblivion one finds Smith's full array of poetic work: the esoteric and exotic languages, the imaginative and fantastical landscapes, and the precise metrical tone harkening back to the classical masters of the field. Included aside Smith's various odes and elegies are poems regarding the fantastical realms of Zothique, Averoigne, and Atlantis; locales that Smith readers will surely recognize from his short stories.

Clark Ashton Smith isn't for everyone, but his romantic & otherworldly poems, full of sensual, exotic words and crammed with bizarre images, are, in my opinion, among the most underrated poems of the 20th century. Primarily remembered (if at all) for his stories and his association with Lovecraft, Smith was a highly original and idiosyncratic writer, visual artist and (above all) poet, a creative artist whose imagination puts him in a league with the likes of Goya, Baudelaire or Scriabin. Smith did not care about academic trends in poetry - not a modernist, he was more of an antimodernist. I guess you could classify him as a symbolist, but he mostly was concerned with expressing his inner visions, at making connections (like Lovecraft) between the human imagination and the cosmic.

This is an excellent selection of Smith's poetry - some favorites include "The Hashish Eater," ""The Witch in the Graveyard" and "A Vision of Lucifer." An added plus is the color reproductions of Smith's paintings, which are even harder to find than his poems. The editors and publisher are to be commended.

Beautifully illustrated! Educational, quick and easy read for a child, but even makes nice coffee table book. I love it and will give it as a gift this Christmas to some families I know with children who are interested in Ireland and related topics.

Excellent book on the Irish famine and sailing to America. The illustrations are beautiful.

Duncan Crosbie, Life on a Famine Ship: A Journal of the Irish Famine 1945-1850 (Barron's Educational Series, 2006)

You know, I have to give Duncan Crosbie mad props. (And I have never used the term "mad props" before in my life.) What kind of twisted mind does it take to first say "hey! I'm going to write a kids' book about the horrible conditions on ships that came to America as a result of the Irish potato famine!" and then follow that thought up with "wouldn't it be cool if we made it a POP-UP BOOK?". I mean, the very concept of this book is just wrong. Wrong on so many levels it's almost impossible to even know where to start. This is a book I was pretty much predestined to love, and it fulfilled my every expectation.

The title tells you pretty much everything you need to know about this book; it is what it says it is. Crosbie doesn't whitewash the subject for kids, though obviously one must leave a good deal of stuff out in a twenty-four-page book. But still, if you've got a warped sense of humor, or your kids do, you need this in your home. *** ½

This is a marvelous reference to so many masterpieces that every book shelf should have it. The selections are excellent,though one wishes there could have been even more, and the articles are well written. Highly recommended.

Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, William Faulkner--all are commonly accepted as four of the greatest writers in the English language. These, and other outstanding writers are analyzed in "Literary Genius: 25 Classic Writers Who Define English & American Literature."

The goal of this collection is to give readers fresh insight into what makes them literary geniuses, with 25 esteemed contemporary authors and critics such as Reynolds Price, Anthony Hecht, and others each contributing an essay about a classic author and his (or her) enduring works.

"'Surely the indisputable literary genius," writes Editor Joseph Epstein, "is William Shakespeare." In addition to an essay on Shakespeare, the book includes essays on three favorite writers of mine: Mark Twain, Robert Frost, and William Faulkner. Alas, another favorite, Edgar Allan Poe, is not included.

Epstein points out a key component of literary genius--a key trait that unites each of the 25 subjects in this book: "Style, it needs to be understood, is never ornamentation or a matter of choice of vocabulary or amusing linguistic tics or mannerisms. Style, in serious writing, is a way of seeing, and literary geniuses . . . see things in a vastly different way than the rest of us."

In other words, the literary genius expands our consciousness and intensifies our awareness, helping us "see in a way that would never have been possible for us to do on our own." Our horizons are broadened; our universe is enlarged.

The ancient Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca (ca. 4 B.C.-A.D. 65) wrote, "There is no great genius without a touch [some translations have "tincture"] of genius." Seneca may or may not be correct, but if he is then these literary genuises possessed a "divine" and beautiful madness that stimulates our imagination and enriches our lives.

Epstein has limited his collection to a few "literary" geniuses, but his introduction discusses elements and definitions of genius that apply to other of the sciences and arts. He quotes Melville: "Genius, all over the world, stands hand in hand, and one shock of recognition runs the whole circle round." Epstein--or someone--chose Barry Moser to do the illustrations for the book. I suggest that one cannot look at Moser's exquisite wood engravings--in this book and in the myriad other volumes he has illustrated--without seeing, feeling, knowing Melville's "shock of recognition." Even if you are not a fan of "Literary Genius"-es, pick up this book and wallow in the "genius" of the illustrations and the man who created them.

Father William Corby (1833-1897) of the Congregation of the Holy Cross was a Chaplain in the famous Irish Brigade of the Army of the Potomac. His great moment was giving general absolution to the kneeling soldiers of the Brigade on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg. The famous Paul Henry Wood painting at Notre Dame University captures the scene, so important in America's religious history. So do the statues of Corby at the University and on Hancock Avenue at Gettysburg.

This is Father Corby's memoir of the war, first published in 1893. When the armies clashed, chaplains usually stayed behind the lines and worked in the hospitals, so Father Corby's memoir only lightly focuses on tactics, strategy, or details from the battlefields. Rather, his is mainly a memoir of camps, marches, the hardships of soldier life, and profiles and vignettes of the Brigade's leaders. He shares many stories that give a feel for the Army of the Potomac and the humor of the times. Civil War historians and re-enactors will find his account valuable and fascinating.

Father Corby brought a priest's faith and commitment to the Brigade, and it is these themes that most infuse the book. He records masses in camp and the field; conversations with Catholics, Protestants, and the unchurched; and work with the wounded and dying. Writing letters for illiterate soldiers gave him other insights on life and faith. He ministered to men sentenced to death by military courts and accompanied them on their final walk. In the midst of appalling carnage, he was sustained by knowing he helped many face death in the state of grace.

Father Corby included shorter recollections by other Catholic chaplains in the Union Army in his own book. Editor Lawrence Frederick Korb provided an excellent introduction with a full survey of Corby's life, and he added appendices on the Wood painting and the statues of Corby by Samuel Aloysius Murray.

At the time of the Civil War, Catholics were an often-despised minority in a majority-Protestant nation, and in Chapter IX, Father Corby ringingly condemned "bigots" and affirmed Catholics as true Americans. The scene of Father Corby and the Irish Brigade at Gettysburg was seen by thousands. It softened the hearts of many, and it may now be reckoned a milestone toward an American future of interfaith understanding and respect.

-30-

I truly enjoyed the book Memoirs of Chaplain Life by William Corby. Father William Corby, a Catholic, served as a chaplain to the Irish Brigade in the Army of the Potomac. Corby relates the many trials and dangers that he suffers over his three years of service. He tells the stories of narrow escapes from the enemy fire. He ministers to the men, "hears their confession," and often dose duties not required by his being chaplain. The book gives an interesting look into the religious life, as well as everyday camp life in a Civil War Army. I will say that the book is hard to get through, but it is worth the time to read. Father Corby is an interesting character.

Father Corby's Irish Brigade memoir provides a very valuable and interesting record of the Civil War. His testimony gives the reader a first-hand account of life in the Church and in the Army.

In some sections, the memoir is not terribly exciting; it is for the history buff who wants to know more than which general won a given battle. The book tells of the great and small trials of army life. Its value comes from the author's testimony about the lives of the soldiers and their experiences.

The book will best suit those who possess a knowledge of the war, as Father Corby's passing mention of campaigns and generals' names will be lost on the uninitiated.

I strongly recommend this book to those interested in Civil War and Irish history.

Simply - one of the best poetry books I have ever read. Wonderful, deep, brilliant craftsmanship - stunning imagery. A great new poetic voice.

This book won the Hollis Summers Poetry Prize in 2000. Dawes was born in Ghanda but grew up and was educated in Jamaica and New Brunswick, Canada. This collection speaks to the landscape and the authors experience in South Carolina where he teaches English at the University of South Carolina. It also deals with the poet as an artist and has been hailed as "a powerful testament of the complexity, pain, and enrichment of inheritance." My favorite poem is "Love Oil" which deals with the meaning of home for the poet. This is first class poetry.

In Midland, Kwame Dawes describes journeys (geographical, spiritual and aesthetic) which ultimately leave us in state of grace contained in the title poem.
Dawes moves us easily between London, Jamaica, Africa and South Carolina as only someone of his intelligence, humour and talent could and creates a poetic tapestry as a true inheritor of the burden/glory of the African diaspora. Yet despite the shame of racism/slavery/alienation, Dawes keeps on moving with the music, "the reggae aesthetic" that buoys up even his most gut wrenching poems.
If you doubt me, read "Sun Strokes" and then tell me if this man is not a poet!