“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters.” (2016) Donald J. Trump, 45th president of the United States (2017 - 2021). Trump's disastrous destructive four years of US presidency, undoubtedly the worst POTUS in history and a cautionary tale for all leaders, is but the … Continue reading THE DON
politics and art
The Organ Grinder’s Monkey
Herman J. Mankiewicz and the writing of Citizen Kane Herman Jacob Mankiewicz (November 7, 1897 - March 5, 1953) was a fascinating man, a deeply troubled man, a man of excess, a man of compassion, contradiction, and great humanity. He also held a grudge like no other. Being gifted he went to Hollywood, and, like … Continue reading The Organ Grinder’s Monkey
Notes for a 21st Century Artistic Manifesto
The Place of Literature.Art is the imitation of life by means of signs, symbols and plastic objects. Literature is the imitation of life using symbols and signs to tell stories. To understand what life means we use art as a skeleton key into what has always been the greatest of mysteries and challenges. Here in … Continue reading Notes for a 21st Century Artistic Manifesto
A People’s Poem for Limerick
From left Poet John W. Sexton, Mayor Michael Sheahan (Limerick) and Oran Ryan A poem written by Limerick people and made up of words, phrases and lines submitted during the Limerick Writers’ Centre’s recent poetry festival ‘April is Poetry Month in Limerick 2019’, was this week unveiled and presented to the mayor of Limerick Cllr. … Continue reading A People’s Poem for Limerick
The Length of a Piece of String
I am a bit worried about what I am writing at the moment. People see me spend long stretches working, and ask me in a roundabout way actually I am working on, and I don't really want to say. There are two reasons for my uncool evasiveness. Firstly I only have a few … Continue reading The Length of a Piece of String
Popcorn and Cat Memes and the Passing of Time
Its good to begin with a joke or a parable. I don't like gimmicks, but I got two little stories. This is one I heard today while listening to a website called You are Listening to Deep Thought. I heard it as I was trying and failing to move forward on the latest draft of … Continue reading Popcorn and Cat Memes and the Passing of Time
The Dragon
It’s extraordinary how much a city can change in a short period of time. Take Dublin. In 2013 when I last lived here full time, Dublin was a vibrant city in the midst of change, just pulling out of the last vestiges of a huge economic slump. There was a sense of hope, of expectation, … Continue reading The Dragon
Olive Kitteridge isn’t having any fun at all
One of the most refreshing and unusual pieces of television I have seen is the strange story of Olive Kitteridge. An HBO mini series based on the Pulitzer winning book by Elizabeth Strout, Olive (Mc Dormand) is an interesting character to be sure. Sharp tongued, incredibly witty, dismissive, self contained, cerebral, self reliant, she is … Continue reading Olive Kitteridge isn’t having any fun at all
Eight things about reading at O Bheal in Cork that everyone should know
Ireland is replete with literary events and poetry readings. All literary events are literary, but not all of them are equal. O Bheal ( http://www.obheal.ie ) is a particularly good one, and it was a marvelously enjoyable evening for me. 1. Resistance is futile. You are made just so welcome. I am not a particularly … Continue reading Eight things about reading at O Bheal in Cork that everyone should know
The Queen And I
The Queen (2006) Directed by Stephen Frears. With Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Alex Jennings. The notion of any kind of hereditary monarchy simply incomprehensible to me. It is a system of government so riven with problems as to be potentially catastrophic for a country. This is why the UK have reduced the monarchy … Continue reading The Queen And I
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