Last week I said that I would query several Linkedin writers’ groups I belong to on the question of why Irish writing is universally appealing.  I thought I posed the question to several groups but received responses from only one group, the Writer’s Network.  I learned a great deal and as usual was both surprised and disappointed by the responses.

Initially, I posed the question:  What is it about Irish writing that gives it such universal appeal?   There was a deluge of negative responses and response completely off topic.  The very first response from G.F., “Nothing.”  Another response from BLD,”Americans have always admired European accents.”  First, I wasn’t aware that Americans had the corner on defining universal appeal and more importantly – accents?  The question was about writing not a theatrical performance?  The next response someone shared that they liked Scandinavian writers – ok – but please don’t waste time on my post sharing your opinion that’s off topic.  What was worse another person L.A. shared her love of Scandinavian literature and then the two of them hijacked the entire discussion responding to each other on their love of Scandinavian literature.  There were then three more comments on accents and two on English literature.  Wow!  I couldn’t believe it.  People need to read what they write before posting, I think it would reduce the number of posts by at least 50%.

At that point, I had to interject and I posted:  I only ask the question because I’m participating in an author panel at the Irish Book and Music Celebration in Chicago on Oct. 3-5.  Do you know that Irish writers have won 4 Nobel prizes for Literature from a county of 10 million people?   

The question couched in background material plus a bit of bragging about Irish writer’s accomplishments re-directed the discussion.  Let me share a few:

AVK:  There’s something about the way Irish writer’s use words that invites you in – even the really       gritty, dark stories have a sort of ethereal beauty that few other cultures have mastered.

RMH:  Biting wit and humor leaves you laughing or weeping and want to hear more.  Irish writers get to the heart of what is happening.

PM: English is heavily influenced by the syntax and phrasing of Gaelic.  My mother us to say things like, ‘That one has a tongue that could cut a hedge’ and in describing a short person, ‘A little come under me arm’ or a clumsy person, ‘He fell over a straw and a hen pecked him.’  It is this unique and colorful use of language that I think makes Irish writers in particular so entertaining and readable.

AW:  The Irish storytellers always aim for the emotional through-line.

DC:  Quoted an Irish adage.  ‘You must speak straight so that your words may go as sunlight into our hearts.’

J.K.  It’s almost as if their prose has the soul of poetry infusing it somehow.

SC:  The appeal of Irish writing is its heart and humanity

AWB:  In a nutshell, the Irish set us free from trivial pursuits that often plague and keep us from the better life.

RMH:  I am sure the descriptive prose of many Irish writers, serious or light hearted, stirs one’s imagination and brings to life the story. 

From these comments I’m beginning to draw a picture of the elements of Irish writing that appeal to readers.  I deeply appreciate the comments of most of those who responded.  However, I’m disappointed by those who feel the need to be negative and snarly or ignore the topic all together.  Frankly, I learned more from these comments than I did from all the research on Google.  There’s a lesson there.

Next week I will share with you my thoughts on why Irish literature is appealing.  Just a note, because Irish writing is appealing doesn’t exclude any other writing from other cultures or countries.  There’s no idea that Irish writing is BEST, just that it is APPEALING. 

    

      

The title of the blog is the discussion question for an author’s panel I will participate in at the Irish Book and Music Celebration in Chicago October 3-5, www.ibam.com.  Last week I shared some of my preliminary research on the topic and asked any readers to offer their view on the discussion question.  One author friend did respond, congratulating me on attending IBAM but not offering any suggestions.

I don’t like reading research on line so I print everything out.  After reading and when I no longer need the material I cut it up to make homemade notepaper then recycle the paper when its use as a notepad ends.  Frugal, I know.

The point is I have about an inch thick research material that I’ve plowed through.  Quite a lot of the material is very academic and while I’m sure it’s excellent analysis doesn’t really help me answer the question.  Then I found a site where Frank Delaney provided his list of top 10 Irish novels.  I think this is a gold mine, especially since I’m anticipating his participation in the author discussion.  Here’s Delaney’s list:

1.       Ulysses by James Joyce

2.       The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen

3.       Troubles by J.G. Farrell

4.       Thy Tears Might Cease by Michael Farrell

5.       Fools of Fortune by William Trevor

6.       The Year of the French by Thomas Flanagan

7.       Amongst Women by John McGahern

8.       The Country Girls by Edna O’Brien

9.       Star of the Sea by Joseph O’Connor

10.   Finnegans Wake by James Joyce

I confess that I’ve read only five of the ten books listed and six of the authors listed.  Next, I decided to research the 10 Most Read Irish Authors, here’s the list from a site called The Answer Sheet:

1.       James Joyce

2.       Oscar Wilde

3.       George Bernard Shaw

4.       C.S. Lewis

5.       Samuel Beckett

6.       Jonathon Swift

7.       Edmund Burke

8.       Brian Friel

9.       Sean O’Casey

10.   Oliver Goldsmith

The list came from www.Questia.com and was assembled by Carolyn Blackman.  I did better on this list having read 7 out of ten.  It is interesting that only author – James Joyce – is on both lists.

I am a member of several LinkedIn discussion groups and my next step is to pose the question to each group.  They’re a lively bunch and I’m sure I’ll get responses.

Once again, this week, I’m appealing to all my blog readers – let me know why you think Irish literature has universal appeal – and, if you don’t agree that Irish literature does have universal appeal – let me know why.

Last week I posted a blog expressing my elation being invited to be one of seventeen authors participating in the 2014 Irish Book and Music Celebration October 3-5 in Chicago, www.ibam.com.  I will be meeting readers and signing books six hours each day on Saturday and Sunday.

In addition to selling books I will be participating on an authors’ panel.  The panel will be an hour discussion with questions and answers from audience members on the topic of:  Since the late 19th Century, Irish Literature has caught the attention of the world.  What is it about Irish writing that gives it such a universal appeal?   The celebration organizer, Cliff Carlson, let me know that Frank Delaney may also be participating on the panel.

NPR has called Frank Delaney the most eloquent man in the world.  No pressure there, participating on a panel with the most eloquent man in the world.  Delaney is also a respected Booker Prize judge, an author of fiction and non-fiction, a journalist and a broadcaster.  If he joins the panel it guarantees a large audience.  To be honest, it’s also frightening.   I think most would agree that Mr. Delaney is a scholar of Irish Literature and his view on the topic will be informed and persuasive.  The topic is very broad and open to many subjective viewpoints.

I decided that in order to contribute anything useful to the discussion I would need to do hours of research so I began that process this week.  All I can say is thank God for Google.  I spent about fifteen hours this week surfing the net to learn more about the history and influence of Irish literature.

The first thing I learned was that not everyone agrees on defining the question.  Some include drama in the definition and the creation of the Irish Literary Theatre in 1899 by W.B. Yeats and others which became the Abbey Theatre.  Drama from Yeats,  G.B. Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Lady Gregory and J.M. Synge were performed there.  Since both Yeats and Shaw received the Nobel Prize for literature I think drama should be included in a comprehensive definition of Irish literature.

Next, I learned there is some dispute on what is meant by Irish Literature.  The purist would argue that Irish literature is written in the Irish language.  When Irish authors write in the English language I learned the correct term is Anglo-English.  For me this is academic even though technically it is certainly correct.  When the international community reads Irish authors they are reading English so I don’t think this point is worth arguing.

Another problematic question is the issue of expatriate authors such as Joyce and Samuel Becket.  Becket presents a real problem because he also published in French and was both a novelist and dramatist.  While Joyce lived on the continent all of his published work was set in Dublin, psychologically he never left his homeland.  From the average readers’ perspective I think this is also an academic argument.  Becket received the Nobel Prize as an Irish writer and for me that settles the question.

From a novice’s perspective the most perplexing aspect of the research is that there are so many questions, I haven’t covered all of them in this blog.  In future weeks I’ll share with you my continued journey to research and prepare for participating on the author’s panel.

I need your help.  Let me know why you think that internationally Irish literature has a unique appeal and popularity with readers.

Personal note:  Tomorrow is 9/11 – we must never forget the innocent sacrificed to terrorism.

  

I participated in the Literary Corner at the 2014 Milwaukee Irish Fest.   The table next to mine was sponsored by IBAM and the Irish American News.  In true Irish tradition, there are no strangers and I struck up a conversation with the woman sitting behind the table.  I was familiar with the annual IBAM Festival and earlier this year explored submitting a proposal to participate in the three day event.

It wasn’t clear from their website how they selected authors to attend but learning the group of well known authors who had attended previously, I decided I wasn’t in their league.  The woman told me she and her husband were searching for authors to participate in the 2014 IBAM festival and asked if I would be interested in attending.

What?  Are you kidding?  Pinch me now so that I wake up from this dream!  She gave me her husband, Cliff Carlson, business card and told me to e-mail him soon.  On Saturday I met Cliff Carlson and learned he is the publisher of the Chicago Irish American News and organizer of the IBAM Celebration.  In addition to having the opportunity to share a weekend with other authors selling our books he asked if I would be interested in making a presentation and or participating on a panel.

I had to be honest with myself, in the world of the Chicago Irish Heritage Center, where the IBAM Celebration is held, I’m a nobody.  Normally, I would have grabbed the offer to make a presentation and held on tight.  My confidence in this setting was zero.  I took the safe route and agreed to participate on a panel discussion with three other authors.

So, here’s the logistics:

Irish Book and Music Celebration

4626 N. Knox Ave

Chicago, Ill.  60630       
www.irish-american.org

Book Selling:  Saturday Oct. 4 noon – 6:00 pm

                         Sunday Oct. 5    noon -  6:00 pm

Panel discussion:  Schedule to be determined.

Topic:  Since the late 19th Century, Irish literature has caught the attention of the world.  What is it about Irish writing that gives it such universal appeal?

BTW:  I seem to have lost August – anyone know where it disappeared?