The Songs of Ana Carolina
And the words of the prophet are written on the subway walls, and tenement halls A VOICE How do you describe a voice? Usually you don’t; you listen to it. … Continue reading
William Davis, the Wexford pikemaker
My ancestors came from Ireland, a fact I only discovered when I explored my family tree. Of 62 individuals over the last five generations before me in the direct line, … Continue reading
Words and meanings
When I read a translation of a poem I often want to shorten it. The translator makes too much effort to recreate the equivalent of the original form of the … Continue reading
Originality
Have you ever had a moment’s inspiration, an insight that jangled the synapses between brain and mind, a patch of clarity in the fog of life, a eureka! that propelled … Continue reading
The novel as essay: Charmian Clift’s writings
George Johnston and Charmian Clift both wanted to write great novels. But they lived in Australia in the 1950s, and all they could achieve in that rather parochial society was … Continue reading
The uneasy queen: Jean Arthur
Who’s the greatest film actress of all time? Silly question, but fans will know what I mean. My choice is Gladys Greene. Like millions of people all over the world, … Continue reading
The shadow of your scorn: Archilochus
The ancient Greeks thought Archilochus (spoken something like arkíll o’kos) was one of their greatest poets. The three they most admired were Homer, Archilochus and Sappho, in that order. The … Continue reading
