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
A Short Essay on Writing Essays
Essays can be on any subject. They can argue any point, give information, tell a story, try to solve a problem, or convince a reader about a certain viewpoint. In fact essays sometimes do many or all of the above things at the same time. In this short essay I will try to talk about … Continue reading A Short Essay on Writing Essays
THE BEAT GOES ON
ALLEN GINSBERG AND THE BEATS Bob Donlon, Neal Cassidy, Ginsberg, Robert la Vigne, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, outside Ferlinghetti's City Lights Bookshop, Bay Area San Francisco, 1956. (US NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART all rights reserved - Allen Ginsberg Foundation - ) My introduction to the Beats came with a bizarre conversation I had with a violinist with … Continue reading THE BEAT GOES ON
“Take Off Your Uniform and Apologize to Your Mother”
ANTI ABORTION LAW DEMONSTRATIONS IN POLAND WARSAW, POLAND OCTOBER 23 RD 2020 Photo by Agata Hudomiet With the exception of rape, incest and when the mother's life is at risk, almost all abortions have been banned in Poland as a result of a law passed in the last few days. The health system is somewhat … Continue reading “Take Off Your Uniform and Apologize to Your Mother”
A Modest Proposal Regarding Eating Animals *
*This is a talk I gave a few years ago on World Vegetarian Day. I am not a climatologist. Neither am I a nutritionist. I write fiction. And, occasionally I have the pleasure of giving talks on world vegetarian day. Vegetarianism is something close to my heart and I was chuffed when asked to speak. … Continue reading A Modest Proposal Regarding Eating Animals *
Doris Lessing and the Search for Self.
I was 22 years old when I first read Doris Lessing. It was her first book, The Grass is Singing, set in Rhodesia in the 1940’s amongst hardscrabble farmers struggling against their own alienation and inexperience to make a living. Knowing something about her background even back then when it was more fashionable to read … Continue reading Doris Lessing and the Search for Self.
Breather
No one ever wants anyone to catch Covid 19. Ever. But when the most powerful person on the planet catches the disease, having minimized the danger of this global pandemic, mishandled the administration of preventative measures, and put an entire population at risk; well, it has the effect of adding a certain measure of irony … Continue reading Breather
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
Black Dog and Radio 4 – Part 2
NOTE: THIS BLOGPOST FOLLOWS FROM Part 1. WHICH I HAD WRITTEN SOME MONTHS BACK. Here I tell the story of a depressive illness I experienced after finishing a novel called One Inch Punch. It's been a while since I have written anything in my blog, mostly because I've been working on a new book. This … Continue reading Black Dog and Radio 4 – Part 2
Rock and Roll Club at Limerick Library
Its hard to describe how excited I was to be asked by Mike Maguire, executive librarian of Limerick City library to talk about my favourite rock and roll music, something I am incredibly passionate about. I keep thinking of what tunes to pick and what tunes to exclude, how I will talk about it and … Continue reading Rock and Roll Club at Limerick Library
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