𝔻𝕖𝕔𝕝𝕒𝕟 𝕆'𝔻𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕝
@JacqBetula
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Woods. Words. Birds. Birch. Beech. Bach. Reviewer of translated fiction for @IrishTimesBooks & reviews in @TheLondonMag Co-curator of @CirclingPoetry
Earth.
Joined July 2016
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Pinned Tweet
"The true provocation today is simply to be kind and polite."
Slavoj Žižek (May 2018)
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50-year-olds going home to hone their writing skills.
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JUST IN:
The Irish government has announced that any two people who have read Ulysses can meet on top of a martello tower.
#LockdownIreland
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Every year, I said that Dubravka Ugrešić should get the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Too late now.
One of the greatest writers of our time.
27 March 1949 – 17 March 2023.
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Which famous painting best reflects your soul?
For me, it could only be this one.
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@GeorgeMonbiot
As someone in Ireland, I can tell you that the idea that "we welcome control, we welcome authoritarianism, we welcome strong leaders" is ridiculous and inaccurate. We, the vaccinated do not blindly support the government. We question their every move, as we should.
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"It can be a fun and freeing exercise to let go of any books that are not integral parts of the story you want to tell yourself about yourself in your space."
There's lots more of this kind of earnest tripe here.
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My new calendar tells me what day is celebrated on each date.
Today is World Introverts Day
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This amazing project is the literary equivalent of Christian Marclay's 'The Clock', quoting passages from books to accurately include every minute of the day.
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Seven years today since Seamus Heaney died. Here he is in an interview with my late brother, Dennis.
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This is how the addiction works. I saw an old Penguin edition of Muriel Sparks 'The Comforters' here last weekend and loved the cover. Now I have four of her books in the same series. Is there a helpline for this sort of . . . difficulty?
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Two things I don't need from a novel:
Likeable characters.
Relatable characters.
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A few weeks ago, I mentioned having read a book so good that I would consider it one of the best novels I've ever read. My review is in today's
@IrishTimesBooks
so I can now say that the book is this one, published by
@JantarBooks
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This year I reviewed 26 books (25 for
@IrishTimesBooks
& 1 for
@LAReviewofBooks
Most were published by those small publishers who are making this a golden age for translated fiction, including
@LolliEditions
@archipelagobks
@JantarBooks
@dedalusbooks
@Istros_books
etc.🧵
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Translations start with Goethe and Hölderlin and end with W. G. Sebald, via Celan, Bachmann, Brecht, and Nelly Sachs, among others. Hamburger’s critical essays on major European writers, from Georg Trakl and Gottfried Benn to Samuel Beckett and T. S. Eliot are also included.
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It's a very melancholy thought that I have now lived for as long as my brother Dennis and from now on I'll be older than he ever managed to be. Yet, I feel I'm only starting and have so much to do, as did he.
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What I've read so far in 2023.
Only showing the ones I've read in Latin.
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This year I reviewed 27 novels for
@IrishTimesBooks
almost all of which were published by great independent publishers such as
@CharcoPress
@archipelagobks
@FumdEstampa
@WeatherglassBks
@LolliEditions
@FitzcarraldoEds
@VQ_Books
@open_letter
@Influxpress
and others
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An interesting clause in the deal for Lydia Davis' new collection of short stories: "the book will be blocked from sale through Amazon".
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If I had the money, I would start a literary review (on paper) that would include reviews of books published at any time, from any country, translated into English or in their original language, in print or out of print.
I wonder if anyone would read it?
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It's an extraordinary oversight that within the 4093 words he uses to write about Olga Tokarczuk's 'The Books of Jacob', Frederic Jameson never mentions the person who allowed him to read the book,
@jenniferlcroft
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Reading a Hungarian writer tonight makes me think that one of the reasons I like so many East European writers is because they are unafraid of being serious.
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"I think translation is… an act of radical change, an act of reshaping and reforming a text, and in some sense it becomes unrecognisable from what it was once, though its essence remains the same."
Jhumpa Lahiri.
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For English-language readers, this has to be the best ever time for translated fiction.
Huge kudos is deserved by all the great, independent presses publishing work of great quality.
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This year, I reviewed thirty books.
Twenty-six for
@IrishTimesBooks
& four for
@TheLondonMag
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It is very sad to hear that Javier Marias has died. I remember first reading him when 'A Heart So White' won the Dublin Literary Award in 1997. Everything about the lovely Harvill edition assured me that I'd love the book and I did. I've read most of his books since then 1/2
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My Javier Marías marathon - begun before Christmas - is coming towards an end. I didn't read everything because I didn't have time but I have read all of what I hadn't already read and am now nearly finished an article about his novels. More about that when it is available.
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My Books of The Year thread.
This year, I reviewed 23 books. 1 for
@TheTLS
, 1 for the
@dubreviewbooks
and 21 for
@IrishTimesBooks
. I'm very grateful to
@MartinDoyleIT
for allowing me to share my thoughts about these books in the paper. Most of the books were published . . .
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"A century after the publication of The Magic Mountain, Tokarczuk revisits Thomas Mann territory and lays claim to it, blending horror story, comedy, folklore, and feminist parable with brilliant storytelling."
It will be translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones.
Translation of
@NobelPrize
laureate Olga Tokarczuk's latest due 9/2024 (US:
@riverheadbooks
; UK:
@FitzcarraldoEds
); intrigued by the title — 'The Empusium' — but it's the subtitle promise that has me really looking forward: "A Health Resort Horror Story".
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When I am in my 70s (should I get there) I hope very much that I won't be as reactionary, bitter and lugubrious as Martin Amis and John Banville. Instead, I hope I'll still be enthusiastic about what's new and interesting in the less-travelled areas of books and music.
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I've really enjoyed being on Twitter this year because of all the friendly people I've come to know here. So, many thanks to everyone who interacted with me this year. Thanks for all the laughs, the encouraging responses and the info. about books. Best wishes to you all for 2021.
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Time for a Twitter break.
I have a significant birthday in a month so I might say something then if I'm not too depressed (or I might just give vent to my gut-wenching feelings of sadness and oldness).
Take care.
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My uncle John was buried today. Born in 1924, he inherited a small farm at a young age, when his father died. He loved nature, never put artificial fertiliser on his fields, ploughed them with horses and was one of the most hospitable people you could ever meet.
Farewell, John.
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I'm reading all of the Javier Mariás books that have been translated (or that's the aim, anyway) for an assignment.
Meanwhile, I get ever closer to his book 'arrangement'.
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My favourite books of the year, so far:
Austral by Carlos Fonseca. Translated from the Spanish by Megan McDowell and
A Mountain to the North, a Lake to the South, Paths to the West, a River to the East by
László Krasznahorkai. Translated from Hungarian by
@caringerel
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Today marks 11 years since my brother Dennis died.
This is the piece I recorded for
@RTESunMisc
a year ago to remember him and Christmases past.
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For readers and publishers with a particular interest in translated fiction there's excellent news here. From now on the round-up of translated fiction will appear in the paper every four weeks. This Saturday the books will be reviewed by
@KatyaTaylor
. Next month will be my turn.
A round-up of the latest literary news and preview of Saturday’s books pages via
@IrishTimesBooks
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Excellent discussion re. Javier Marías on Radio 4 today, with
@chris_power
,
@BoydTonkin
, Margaret Jull Costa and
@Milesdebosques
speaking about his preoccupations, stylistic traits etc.
Glad to hear Valerie mention Dark Back of Time, a personal favourite.
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I got rid of the tumble dryer. So then there was a space left.
What else was I going to do with it?
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"Both he and Trump are racists, though Johnson’s variety is much more arch and knowing."
@fotoole
on Boris Johnson.
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I've let lots of dandelions grow and repressed my instinct to get out the hoe. As a result, I can see five lovely Greenfinches eating seeds from them at the moment.
@BirdWatchIE
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By that measure, these covers must be disrespectful to French literature.
@spencerruchti
@Dalkey_Archive
Nope. These covers are DISRESPECTFUL to Korean literature in their laziness and ugliness. Not just the conformity but the design itself. Design, singular. And I can’t be gaslit into thinking they are anything but.
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Indian novel about caste becomes first Tamil work longlisted for International Booker prize.
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The new plinth at Trinity with its statue of the faultless person.
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On a day of wind and rain, it was very cheering to find a copy of The Letters of Seamus Heaney (thanks to
@FaberBooks
) on the back step this evening.
The postman had put my wheelbarrow over the package to keep it dry. Postal workers always go the extra mile!
@Postvox
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I'm hardly objective, but I am really pleased with the
@PrizeRofc
longlist
@SansyG
@RebeccaAbrams2
and I decided on. Every one of these books is worth an adventurous reader's time.
Here, I share some thoughts about the prize and the books.
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"Translation was in some sense Heaney’s home soil, his Antaean trampoline."
Michael Hofmann writes about Seamus Heaney's translations in this week's
@TheTLS
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My interest in Olga Tokarczuk's writing goes back to 'House of Day, House of Night' which Granta published in a translation by Antonia Lloyd-Jones. This is a letter I received in reply to my suggestion that they should publish more of her work.
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John O'Brien was the first to publish Jon Fosse in English.
Oh, what marvelous news. Fosse’s work is rich, hypnotic, and profound. Gratulerer to a master, one who we have been proud to publish over the years.
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I think almost everyone in Ireland, of a certain age, will be familiar with
@RTESunMisc
. I remember hearing it every Sunday morning in my youth when people like John Ryan and Benedict Kiely were regulars. So I'm delighted that I will contribute a piece to the programme tomorrow.
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10 writers by whom I've read more than 5 books:
Javier Marías
Georges Perec
Samuel Beckett
Carson McCullers
Iain Sinclair
Günter Grass
László Krasznahorkai
Flann O'Brien (incl. as Myles na gCopaleen)
Dubravka Ugrešić
and at least 15 by the great Anthon Buckeridge.
10 writers by whom I've read more than 5 books:
Franz Kafka
Robert Walser
Roberto Bolaño
Gabriel García Márquez
Clarice Lispector
Yoko Tawada
Yasunari Kawabata
Javier MarÍas
Can Xue
Tonke Dragt
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Every hour or so my friend turned to wave at me
or I believed she did, though
the dark obscured her.
Still her presence sustained me:
some of you will know what I mean.
from 'Winter Journey'
Louise Glück, RIP.
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A lot of books arrived this week. Given how many unread books I already have, what I now need is a large reading grant that would allow me to read all day instead of only having a few hours in the evening.
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Such a joy to read a few pages of the forthcoming László Krasznahorkai novel, superbly translated by
@caringerel
before going to work.
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Have the novels written by Gunter Grass gone out of fashion? I never see anyone on BookTwitter mention him. Not long ago Tin Drum etc. would have been regarded as essential reading. What happened? Was it the revelations in his autobiography that soured his reputation?
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Finally, after making its way, very slowly, through the sorting offices of the UK and Ireland, I have a copy of
@TheLondonMag
For various reasons, it is a particular thrill and a sort of "that can't be right" feeling to see my name on the back.
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What a beautiful book. There is so much good writing here about the nature of fiction and so many examples of his own fiction that enhance his philosophy of fiction.
@cgass_photo
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This is well worth listening to.
"Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there has been an explosion - real and metaphorical - of translation of Ukrainian-language literature",
includes
@TsurkanKate
and other contributors.
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Delighted to make my
@LAReviewofBooks
debut with a review of Daša Drndić's 'Canzone Di Guerra', translated by Celia Hawkesworth and published by
@Istros_books
Many thanks to
@BorisDralyuk
for your encouragement.
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On what would have been his 80th birthday, a picture I like a lot of Seamus Heaney and my brother Dennis, deep in conversation. The photo was taken on the morning after the London launch of 'Stepping Stones' by Julie O’Callaghan.
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Stepping Stones: Interviews with Seamus Heaney by Dennis O'Driscoll is considered the closest thing to a memoir or a portrait of Heaney.
At the time of publication in 2008, Vincent Woods hosted a conversation with Seamus Heaney and Dennis O’Driscoll.
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So glad I was able to speak about my brother Dennis at the first 'Circling The Square' day of poetry and music yesterday. How, simultaneously, dismissive and delighted he would have been.
Photo courtesy of
@ChristaDebrun
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The feeling that non-commercial culture in the UK is facing an ever-tougher future, with little support, is greatly increased by this very disappointing announcement. The White Review has been an outstanding space for literature and art.
Thanks to those who brought it this far.
It is with great regret that we announce that The White Review is going on a hiatus and ceasing its day-to-day publishing for an indefinite period. Full statement here:
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Not trying to make anyone feel envious, but this arrived on a very good day for post.
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People should not be belittled for their reading choices. If someone chooses to escape the difficulties of their life by reading escapist novels, why should anyone have anything insulting to say about that?
They're not the novels I read, but so what?
Overheard in the pretentious reading corner of Twitter: “Yah, yah, I hate those ‘easy reading’ novels; they add nothing to the body of literature as a whole”. This, from somebody who has never written a single book; never thought about what reading means to people other than…
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What a gorgeous cover for a terrific history of the allotment, forthcoming from
@LittleToller
.
I have the original edition of David Crouch's 'The Allotment: Its Landscape and Culture', but I'll have to get this too.
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My review of 'The Books of Jacob' by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by
@jenniferlcroft
, published by
@FitzcarraldoEds
is now online.
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Five of the six shortlisted books are from small publishers.
Small publishers are the ones taking all the risks and finding the best writers from all around the world.
Congratulations to
@7storiespressuk
@FitzcarraldoEds
@PeirenePress
@VQ_Books
@Influxpress
Visit to learn more about these six exceptional novels, the authors and translators & the libraries that nominated them!
Sign up to our newsletter for updates 👉
#DublinLitAward
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I hadn't watched the full version of Christ Stopped At Eboli, the majestic film based on the book by Carlo Levi and directed by Francesco Rosi, for several years. But I watched it tonight and, for me, it was as beautiful and profound as ever.
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On Seamus Heaney's birthdate, here he is with Dennis O’Driscoll in London in 2008 on the morning after the London launch of 'Stepping Stones'. Photograph: Julie O’Callaghan.
#SeamusHeaney
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It's a pity to see print magazines in decline. I've never subscribed to National Geographic, but perhaps if we all subscribe to a few of the many excellent literary magazines, it will help to keep them alive?
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What a day for
@FitzcarraldoEds
Annie Ernaux is their third Nobel winner!
What a brilliant and well-chosen list they have and what a great initiative it was by Jacques Testard to set up a truly literary press.
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What an insult to all the women who work at checkouts. This is supposed to show 'sensitivity'. Instead, it demonstrates the worst kind of snobbishness in assuming that those women's work is somehow inferior.
Who went to work every day during lockdown to make sure we could eat?
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As an ordinary worker who reads books, it is a great pity to see the reading of other working people condescended to and not just in this clip. I see plenty of patronising, condescending opinions here from people decrying those whose reading habits are not as exalted as theirs.
This is the
@TheBookerPrizes
shortlist announcement, highlighting the apparent comedic novelty of a book club from Scunthorpe having members who are a steel worker & dinner lady.
It's embarrassing, condescending - and exactly how much of the industry sees the working class 🚮
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With more space needed for books, I had the idea to get some shelves put in at the turn on the stairs. Lots of
@FitzcarraldoEds
@CharcoPress
@TiltedAxisPress
@archipelagobks
and others there now.
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Helen Vendler and Marjorie Perloff were true critics. They weren't look-at-me, aren't-I-so-clever critics.
They wrote about the poetry, the books, the texts, not themselves.
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I was told to say nothing, so I'm saying nothing.
Congrats to James Hayden and Ben O’Driscoll who received prestigious All Ireland Scholarship Awards today. Full financial support for duration of 3rd level, sponsored by J.P. McManus, based on their outstanding Leaving Cert results - well done lads- hugely deserved 👏👏👏
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Life: A Users Manual
Ulysses
Don Quixote
The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter
Beckett Trilogy
The Third Policeman
Cat & Mouse
Independent People
The Street of Crocodiles
Ducks, Newburyport
(Of course, I could just as easily pick another ten).
10 favorite novels (no particular order)
Moby-Dick
Swann’s Way
The Recognitions
The Royal Family
How to Quiet a Vampire
Beloved
Ice
The Tale of Genji
The Pale King
The Malady of Death
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Kevin Power has joined those who have left Twitter. He was derided for saying that people should not be belittled if they read and enjoy books by Colleen Hoover. What a place this is.
As with Brian Dillon, it was two US 'critics' who led the charge.
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This is so sad. Her brilliantly sardonic view of the world was, for me, a reason to read everything she wrote. Just yesterday, I was looking for one of her books so that I could quote from it. She signed that book, The Culture of Lies, for me on 10/06/2012, in Dublin.
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Dubravka Ugresic. The very first Open Letter author, an avid and vocal advocate for the art of literature, an absolutely wonderful human being. Rest in Peace, Dubravka. Your voice will live on.
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The Korean Library series, designed by Mikhail Iliatov and published by
@Dalkey_Archive
is getting a kicking from a certain quarter. I'm very happy to have the full series.
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After a gap of 18 months, I was finally able to visit
@ByrnesBooks
last Saturday. It was as enticingly well-stocked as ever (and it was great to be able to chat with Vinny and Charlie, again). Books were purchased.
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Down with St. Patrick.
Bring back tree worship.
"Sacred trees and groves were considered as sanctuaries. The ancient Irish built no temples. Instead, they treated nature as a temple. Trees were the oldest living things and were looked upon as sources of great wisdom."
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How did we get from The Death of The Author to Identity is Everything?
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This is very interesting to see. A new biography of Carson McCullers.
I read the biography by Virginia Spencer Carr many years back and it seemed to me, at the time, to be terrificly comprehensive. I wonder what new material or insights are in this biography by Mary V. Dearborn.
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I bought the Penguin Modern Classic edition of Kafka's diaries when I was a schoolboy so I'm very much looking forward to reading the more complete edition which is just about to be published.
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The inaugural W. G. Sebald Literature Award has been given to the wonderful Esther Kinsky, whose recent book 'Grove', translated by Caroline Schmidt and published by
@FitzcarraldoEds
is one of my favourite books of this year.
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Ten years ago today my brother Dennis died.
I recalled that day and happier Christmas days in a piece I contributed to
@RTESunMisc
Many thanks to everyone who listened and responded to my piece.
If you didn't hear it but would like to, this is the link.
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I never post photos of myself here but I'm very happy to have this photo, taken last friday night, with
@elainefeeney16
and
@Doug_D_Stuart
, so I'll make an exception. I wish I had held the
@CharcoPress
tote bag a little more elegantly! (We did all remask after the photo).
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Has to be Beckett, in my opinion: Molloy, Malone Dies and The Unnamable.
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Myself and a terrific committee have been working over the past six months to put together this festival of poetry and music to remember Dennis O'Driscoll. We want as many people as possible to hear splendid poetry being read before them.
It would be great to meet you there.
On October 20th - 22nd, Thurles-born poet Dennis O'Driscoll will be celebrated and remembered at the Circling the Square Festival. The (very) full line-up of poets and musicians is below.
Tickets available here:
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