Ed. Kevin Barry, Tom Dunne, Richard Kearney, Edna Longley, Clare O’Halloran and Brian Walker

CONTENTS

Luke Gibbons, ‘Montage, Modernism and the City’, pp.1-6. Considers the modernist and Irish influence in Joyce’s use of random images, seemingly unconnected details and dream-like sequences in a stream of consciousness narrative; disagrees with Franco Moretti’s conclusion that the backward, traditional nature of Ireland hindered Joyce in his literary career, preferring to believe that it allowed him none of the urban, romantic misconceptions of the restorative power of the countryside; draws comparisons with the lively tempo of the Dicken’s novels.

Michael O’Loughlin, ‘Meridian - Dublin and Amsterdam’, pp.7-13. Ruminates on Ireland’s indifference to urban traditions which has schizophrenic consequences, offering both a sense of freedom while also exuding a nostalgia for world culture as defined by Mandelstam’s ‘Acmeism’; considers Dublins evolution as cultural capital of Europe and juxtaposes it with Amsterdam, the author’s idea of utopia; visualises a new future cultural order, a vivacious, mongrel type Europe.

Ferdia Mac Anna, ‘The Dublin Renaissance: An Essay on Modern Dublin and Dublin writers’, pp.14-30. Outlines the effect Joyce has had on Dublin and Irish writers since the achievement of Ulysses as it gave rise to the notion that anything worth writing, Joyce had already done it, thus inhibited Irish literary writers from moving on; traces the evolution of Irish literature since Joyce alluding to Heno Magee, Jim Sheridan, Neil Jordan, James Plunkett, Roddy Doyle and the Passion Machine, indicating the 80’s revival which has culminated into an energetic and realistic representation of city life in Dublin and has opened the eyes of the world to the myth of a single Ireland.

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Diarmuid Ó Giollain, ‘A Baltic City’, pp.31-34. Trails through the old streets of Tallinn, now a major centre of the modern west in Finland which acts as a pivot point for Communist east and Capitalist west to come together; provides historical information on the city and the inhabitants, Germans and Slavs.

Peter Emerson, ‘Moscow - The Third Rome?’, pp.35-39. Studies the plight of Moscow since the abolition of the totalitarian state, praising the Russians for ending the cold war and their efforts to progress and modernise with the west while castigating the western government for stifling their own democratic evolution; notes the changes Russia is experiencing in the transition period although judging it, ultimately, to be a worthwhile move.

Evelyn Conlon, ‘Connexions Edinburgh’, pp.40-42. Expresses her astonishment at the unexpected beauty of Edinburgh, finding it an exotic, exciting and magnificient city, naming many attractions such as the georgian architecture, Edinburgh Castle and Deacon Brodies pub.

Peter Bichsel, ‘Neutral Neutrality’, pp.43-46. Argues against the prevailing belief that Switzerland is an ideal nation enjoying a utopic existence in a wealthy, neutral economy; believes that neutrality is an excuse not to participate with the rest of the world and that the wealth was accumulated from profiteering during war time; longs for an enlightened Switzerland and a democracy that will succeed.

Harry Mulisch, ‘In Praise of No-Man’s-Land’, pp.47-50. Sketches his personal experiences as a native European who perceives her wars as civil wars; sees language as no barrier to the future prospects of Europe as a nation state and refers to Kant’s theories on civil peace.

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Ces Nooleboom, ‘In Eco’s Labyrinth’, interview with Umberto Eco, pp.51-60. Discusses ideas on order and disorder, God and the World, fiction and meta-fiction, the influence of the Kabbala, Joyce, Auden and the biographical quality of ‘Pendulum’.

Vassilis Vassilikos, ‘Antiquity Revisited’, pp.61-69. Welcomes the re-enstatemnet of ancient Greek on the school curriculums, certain that the revival of our ancient heritage and language will aid the decaying English literary scene; presents an insightful view into the long endured plight of the Greek intellectual in the Western world.

Claudio Magris interviewed, pp.70-76. Converses over the cities which Magris found captivating such as Vienna and Trieste, their culture and vitality as well as his personal memories of them.

Kirsti Simonsuuri, ‘Gens Europea’, pp.77-80. Cogitates Europeanism, placing his homeland as Europe and himself a citizen of plurality; alludes to similar positions held by Plutrarch and Marcel Proust, whose personal growth was achieved with Europe as their native land; hopes for a growing awareness of this new nation state experience.

Agnes Heller, ‘The European Cornucopia’, pp.81-90. Contemplates the evolution of Europe in the western world in modern, pre- and post-modern terms along with its role as homeland to hugely diverse cultural variations of language, religion and lifestyle; wishes for the return of the classics to school curriculums such as the liberal arts, poetry, Greek, Latin and philosophy, seeing these as our unifying ancient heritage and thus, making a peaceful future possible.

Alasdair Gray, ‘Cities of Culture: A Warning From Glasgow. A Friend Unfairly Treated’, pp.91-94. Applauds the life work and achievement of one persevering, hard working public servant, Elspeth King, a representative of the high grade service provided by low paid, under appreciated servants with no political aspirations or notions of personal gains.

Robert McLiam Wilson, ‘Cities at War’, pp.95-98. Deliberates the murderous state of the majority of the cities in the world and the growing ease with which the human race accepts and holds a gun; despairs fot the future of our race with the gun as our mouthpiece and bullets our words.

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Poetry

C.K. Williams, ‘Helen’, pp.99-105 [poem].

Gerald Dawe, ‘Safe Houses’, pp.106 [poem].

Greg Delanty, ‘The Scarecrow’, pp.107 [poem].

Phil MacCarthy, ‘Two Poems’, ‘The Gift’; ‘The Opal’, pp.108-09.

Maurice Harmon, ‘The Shed’, pp.110-11 [poem].

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Reviews

George O’Brien, ‘Aspects of the Novelist’, pp.113-18, review of Julia Carlson, ed., Banned in Ireland. Censorship and the Irish Writer (London: Routladge 1990); James Plunkett, The Circus Animals (London: Century Hutchinson 1990); Roddy Doyle, The Snapper (London: Secker and Warburg 1990); Hugo Hamilton, Surrogate City (London: Faber 1990). Notes Carlson’s study of the impact of the ‘Censorship of Publications Act 1929 on Irish novelists though faults her for not considerating why particularly fiction novelists ‘incurred official displeasure’ as opposed to literature generally; Commends Plunkett’s plain prose style, though finds his chronicling of life in Dublin city, ultimately, monotonous; Outlines the plot and characters in Doyle’s novel, commenting on the mediocrity of the themes, characters, comedy and emotions; Deems Surrogate City an ambitious presentation, appreciating the complexity of the surrogacy theme as well as the depiction of the prevailing moral and cultural social climate.

John Darby, ‘Ideological Shifts’, pp.118-22, review of John Whyte, Interpreting Northern Ireland (Oxford: Clarendon Press 1990); Padraig O’Malley, Northern Ireland: Questions of Nuance (Belfast: Blackstaff Press 1990); John McGarry and Brendan O’Leary, The Future of Northern Ireland (1990). Highly acclaims the skill, impartiality and depth of knowledge displayed in Whyte’s publication which examines the nature of the divide between Northern Ireland’s communities; Compliments O’Malley’s literary talent, highlighting his documented interviews with polititions representing both communities; Welcomes the positivity of McGarry and O’Leary as they outline possible solutions for Northern Ireland with specialist research on patterns of violence and party support.

Liam O’Dowd, ‘The Politics of Development’, pp.122-27, review of Richard Breen, Damien Hannon, David Rottman and Christopher Whelan, Understanding Contemporary Ireland (Dublin: Gill and Macmillan 1990); Liam Kennedy, The Modern Industrialisation of Ireland 1940-1988 (The Economic and Social History Society of Ireland 1989); Brian Girvin, Between Two Worlds: Politics and Economy in Independent Ireland (Dublin: Gill and Macmillan 1989); John F. McCarthy, ed., Planning Ireland’s Future: The Legacy of T. K. Whitaker (Dublin: Glendale Press 1990); Robert Allen and Tara Jones, Guests of the Nation: People of Ireland versus the Multinationals (London: Earthscan Public 1990). Applauds Kennedy’s juxtaposition of industrialisation North and South; Finds Girvin’s publication noteworthy as it offers a lengthy historical perspective from the partition period to the 1980’s including interviews with key civil servants and polititions; Acclaims Breen’s well researched and informative views on class , the state and social change; Appreciates McCarthy’s illuminating and specific account of the Whitaker/Lemass period; Deems the interviews and research carried out in Guests of the Nation impressive in range and specificity as it examines the ulterior motives of the investment plans of multinationals.

Patricia Coughlan, ‘Special Pleading?’, pp.127-31, review of Louise DeSalvo, Kathleen Walsh D’Arcy and Katherine (eds), Territories of the Voice (London: Virago 1990); Mary Beckett, A Literary Woman (London: Bloomsbury 1990); Mary Dorcey, A Noise From the Woodshed: Short Stories (London: Onlywomen Press 1989); Victoria White, Raving Autumn and Other Stories (Dublin: Poolbeg 1990). Commends the ‘anthology of oppressions’ of women’s lives in marraige, motherhood, poverty and prejudice provided in Territories of the Voice but flaws the stereotypical feminist subject matter which inhibits the gifts of the individual authors; Esteems Beckett’s depiction of conventional experiences and expectations, believing it to be the most competent of this selection; Reckons White’s collections to be carelessly inconsistent in detail, finding the historical presentations more captivating; Praises the spirited style and imaginative interpretation of Dorcey’s work on the plight of lesbian women.

John Goodby, ‘Elephantiasis and Essentialism’, pp.132-37, review of Paul Muldoon, Madoc (London: Faber 1990); Tom Paulin, The Faber Book of Vernacular Verse (London: Faber 1990). Offers a comparison between the two collections, noting Madoc as Muldoon’s longest and most ambitious piece and Paulin’s as a more modest publication.

Joep Leerssen, ‘In Defiance of the Canon?’, pp.137-39, review of Norman Vance, Irish Literature: A Social History: Tradition, Identity and Difference (Oxford: Basil Blackwell 1990). Highly impressed with Vance’s treatment of generally neglected writers such as Ussher, Drennan and St. John Ervine and his argument against the canonisation of certain foregrounded authors to the detriment of lessor known writers.

L.A. Clarkson, ‘Contrasting Kilkennys’, pp.139-142, review of W. G. Neely, Kilkenny: An Urban History, 1391-1843 (Belfast: The Institute of Irish Studies at Queens 1989); William Nolan, Kevin Whelan (eds), Kilkenny: history and society. Interdisciplinary essays on the history of an Irish county (Dublin: Geography Publications 1990). Welcomes both volumns as adept contibutions to the county histories collection, noting the imput of historians, sociologists, archaelogists and historical geographers in Neely’s publication and the exploration of Irish urban history in broad regional and national terms and in a European context which can be found in Whelan and Nolan’s book.

Tom Dunne, ‘Sean Daly’.

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