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Irish Emigrant Book Review, No.49 (August 1999)
Phoenix Irish Short Stories
ed. David Marcus
- This collection of 21short stories is the fourth in an annual series which
showcases the work of writers either born or living in Ireland, and of these
only Colum McCann’s chilling “Everything in this Country Must” has appeared
elsewhere. Three of those included have explored the theme of moving on,
of knowing when it is time to go. In “Dead Hound Walking”, Edel Moloney
focuses on the loneliness of a deserted wife who has devoted her life to
her dogs; when they are gone she feels no need to remain, though she leaves
us with the poignant observation that “not being afraid to go isn’t the
same as not wishing you had reason to stay”. Molly McCloskey’s “Dust” refers
to the death of a marriage for John and Helen who have left their adult
children in ignorance of the true state of affairs, while they share a last
Christmas. A different kind of moving on is portrayed by William Hodder
in “The Flight”. Here a successful businesswoman finally accepts that she
will remain childless but refuses to use as substitute either her career
or, as she makes plain to her husband, “a dog, or a cat, or a budgie, or
bloody tropical fish”.
Two stories in particular caught my attention; the relentless tragedy of
“Still Rain” by Arnold Fanning, in which a father’s ill-treatment of his
older son is mirrored against a backdrop of silence and death. Michael Taft’s
“The, as yet, Unrealised Power of Art” is an extraordinary story of a preoccupation
with painting death that leads to prescience, police investigations and
a final life-affirming gesture by artist John Richards. The editor has included
a short biography of each contributor in a collection which reaffirms the
strength of the short story in the Irish literary repertoire.
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Harmattan by Gaye Shortland
- A novel set in the Saharan sands of Niger would at first glance appear
to have little connection with Ireland, apart from the nationality of
the author. Ms Shortland, however, in her description of the Tuareg culture,
draws comparisons with the Irish way of life which attest to the universality
of humanity. Ellen, a Cork woman brought up by a father with a love of
adventure, travels from Nigeria to Niger in search of Amodi, the Tuareg
man she loves, and comes face to face with an alien culture which she
strives to understand. In this she succeeds to a certain extent by drawing
comparisons with her own culture; when she looks for a word to describe
the intense hospitality of the Tuaregs, the only one she can come up with
is “flaithiulacht”. Amodi leaves a charm spiked on a thorn tree, just
as Irish people have left “prayers” on trees for centuries, and the negative
reaction to her comment on the size of a child reminds red-haired Ellen
of the West Cork woman who felt it bad luck to meet her first thing in
the morning. The Tuaregs, described as “Fearsome Blue Men who had raided
and ruled the Sahara for centuries”, are noted for their all-prevailing
use of an indigo dye which is introduced to the reader through the clothing
of a dead man, a death which gives Ellen the excuse to travel to Niger
where she hopes to find Amodi. Her journey of discovery takes in the strange
traditions of the Tuaregs, some of which, like the force-feeding of pubescent
girls with milk to fatten them up, she finds repugnant. In the end she
leaves a place of alien traditions and beautiful people, taking with her
a lasting remembrance of her love for Amodi.
“Harmattan”, which takes its name from a seasonal wind of the Sahara,
is written with passion and humour, and demonstrates Ms Shortland’s impressive
powers of description. At least partly autobiographical, the narrative
takes the reader on a journey both internal and external with a cast of
characters who contrive to be simultaneously childlike and mysterious.
The Waves Behind Us by Benedict
Kiely
- In the course of this, his second volume of memoirs, Benedict Kiely
advises readers of Seamus Murphy’s book, “Stone Mad” to read it out loud
with a Cork accent if one wants to know how the sculptor sounded. The
same is undoubtedly true of this volume, a series of seemingly random
recollections which are nonetheless intertwined whether the author is
talking about his native Omagh, his adopted Dublin or any other part of
Ireland. Those of us familiar with his voice from the radio programme
“Sunday Miscellany” can hear the Tyrone accent coming through the written
word, whether he is discoursing on his favourite places or the many good
friends he made over the years.
Among these he numbered in particular Fr Senan Moynihan, the Kerryman
who was editor of the Capuchin Annual, Brendan Behan and Patrick Kavanagh.
In a gentle fashion he manages to put into perspective the excesses and
eccentricities of the latter two, without stridently defending them. Being
part of the Dublin literary world of the mid-decades of this century brought
Kiely into contact with many of the noted poets and novelists of the day
with whom he made firm and cherished friendships. Indeed one of his favoured
quotations, of which there is a liberal sprinkling throughout the book,
is Belloc’s
“From quiet homes and first beginning, Out to the undiscovered ends, There’s
nothing worth the wear of winning But laughter and the love of friends...”
As Benedict Kiely celebrates his 80th birthday, he looks back with affection
on a life that began near Omagh and has taken him through the whole of
Ireland and abroad, with his keen eye recording the events and characters
encountered on the way.
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Dublin, Daughter of Merchant
Kings by P.D. Whelan
- This is the first in a projected series of historical novels centred
on the development of Dublin as a settlement and important trading post
from the eighth century. The waves of invasion and counter-invasion are
linked together by Evlana, a member of the Tuatha De Danaan who chose
to inhabit the dark pool where the Rivers Poddle and Liffey meet, following
the defeat of her people by the Celts. The Celts are represented by Finian,
a king’s son who turns his back on his kingdom to establish trading links
in Europe. In turn his son, Dermot, brings home a wife from France and
it is their daughter, Dervilla, who occupies much of the narrative.
Captured, held hostage and raped by Norseman Harald, she devotes her life
to seeking vengeance on the man and the warlike people who have stolen
her inheritance. The fortunes of war mean that Dublin/Dyflin changes hands
many times during the course of the ninth century and the conflict between
Dervilla and Harald, intensified by the torn loyalties of their son Asmund,
is the channel through which the author relates the history of the city.
The detailed descriptions of both location and artefacts points to a wealth
of research into the subject, with only one or two jarring notes. For
instance, when the seafaring Finian is contemplating buying a horse from
Ronan, his wife Orla says to him, “You can talk to him after Mass tomorrow”.
While it is probably entirely accurate, the phrase itself seems to belong
more to the mid-20th century than the 8th century. However in general
this is an enjoyable lesson on the history of our capital city wrapped
up in a well-constructed work of fiction.
Simply Vegetarian by Tracy Culleton
and Dee Higgs
- The two authors of this collection of vegetarian recipes are both members
of the Vegetarian Society of Ireland and have here collected more than
100 recipes for those wishing to follow a vegetarian lifestyle. More than
this, they have set out to explain both vegetarianism and veganism in
a comprehensive introduction which covers such topics as personal health,
the environment, pregnancy and anorexia. The authors also include a helpful
glossary of unfamiliar ingredients and a section of general cooking hints.
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William Trevor by Dolores Mackenna
- Subtitled “The Writer and his Work”, Ms Mackenna’s book is divided into
three sections, with the longest being devoted to an analysis of his works
taken in context with the influence exerted by events in his life. Particular
attention in this section is paid to Trevor’s first book, “A Standard
of Behaviour”, the collection of short stories, “The Day we got Drunk
on Cake”, and his work for radio and television, including perhaps his
best-known work, “The Ballroom of Romance”. But first the author has set
the scene by going back to the 18th century to find the roots of the Cox
family, the writer having taken his two given names as a pen name. In
a chapter covering family, national and international history we are shown
the various threads from which William Trevor’s own family was woven.
His childhood and youth, his first calling as a sculptor of some note
are recorded, and from this base of knowledge we can more easily understand
the various themes of his output over the past forty years. The final,
and by far the shortest, section comprises an interview with William Trevor
in which he appears to be either a man of very few words or someone who
is tired answering the same questions time and time again. Ms Mackenna’s
book is rounded off with a full bibliography of the works of William Trevor.
Brief Encounters by Bill Long
- In “Brief Encounters” writer and broadcaster Bill Long has gathered
together his recollections of meetings with a number of characters, most
of them well-known names. During a professional life which took him to
the United States and Britain the author’s life was touched by others
in a way which left a lasting impression on him. From the frail figure
of the elderly Raymond Chandler, with whom Long shared the common bond
of a Waterford childhood, to the extraordinary Tom “Mexico” Mullins whose
signed first editions of Zane Grey were destroyed after his death, Long
introduces us to an enviable collection of friends and acquaintances.
Some, like Dr Patrick Joyce of Bismarck, North Dakota, he actively sought
out; others were chance meetings, such as his flight across the Atlantic
in the entertaining company of David Niven. Coincidentally, Long tells
us that the same Belloc quatrain beloved of Benedict Kiely was quoted
at Niven’s funeral. All, however, have a common denominator, in that they
tell us almost as much about the author as about the person he is portraying.
The Draughtsman and the Unicorn
by Anthony Glavin
- This collection of twelve short stories by Boston-born Anthony Glavin
reflects both his sojourn in Co. Donegal and his travels around the world.
Indeed the opening story, “Salvage”, sets the scene for the breadth of his
canvas, linking as it does Nicaragua, Boston and Dublin. However whether
set in rural Ireland, Dublin or Spain, the tales all reveal the inner joy
or pain of the characters. Notable for the sudden shock of the outcome is
“Piranha”, a chilling tale of a practical joke among a group of Dublin friends
which goes horribly wrong. “Shoe the Donkey”, on the other hand, is a tragi-comic,
gently told tale of acceptance and forgiveness during the closing years
of an elderly couple. Glavin is a master of atmosphere, no more so than
in the title story of Elke, who believes herself to be the last unicorn
and dresses and acts accordingly.
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