It’s three p.m. on a Thursday in St. Stephen’s Green and it’s sunny – so ridiculously sunny for Dublin that everyone’s out and everyone’s in shirtsleeves and everyone’s on the grass and someone, some bold someone, is smoking pot; it floats on by in a sour whiff and Em and I remark on the absolute […]
Ireland
Swift, Stoker, Rushdie, Wilde, Beckett, Me
Five years ago, nearly to the day, I wrote this in my journal: I need to just give up – I’ll never be a writer. what ever made me think I could be one? HOW CAN YOU BE A WRITER IF YOU’RE NOT CREATIVE?????? HOW CAN YOU BE A WRITER IF YOU NEVER WRITE EXCEPT […]
Country Roads
The landlords have a realtor called Patrick whose job it is now to troop prospective renters through my soon-to-be ex-bedsit. Sometimes he calls first, other times he doesn’t. I’m hungover one morning when I hear the timid knock on the door – hello? And then it’s all, dammit, because when falling into bed tipsy the […]
Taxicab Duets
Drinks at Kennedy’s with my former classmates turns into a tipsy nighttime walk through City Centre turns into drinks and dancing at 4 Dame Lane. Untiss untiss untiss. Untiss untiss untiss. Talk of our novels, talk of our poetry, talk of our master’s portfolios; of marriage and children and Beckett and Hardy and confessional poets […]
Photo Friday: Monopoly Houses on the River Liffey
A new art installation in Dublin – 2010 Fringe Festival madness. Monopoly houses bobbing along the River Liffey between the O’Connell and Ha’penny bridges. Red and green. Floating with the current. Lit up at night. This post has been brought to you by Delicious Baby Photo Friday.
Things I Won’t Miss About Dublin and Ireland
Before I left for Italy last July, I wrote a list of things I’d miss about Dublin and Ireland. I can’t look at it now; it’ll make me too sad, reignite my technicolor fantasies of chucking everything and staying right here in my little bedsit, drinking Barry’s tea and dreaming of swans. Instead, I try […]
Your Hiberno-English Word of the Day
Today’s secret word is craic. It’s an Irish word – one of those words you can’t really translate into English. Something you feel rather than explain. It’s a noun. It means fun. Liveliness. Spirit? Music’s usually involved, but not specifically music. Craic’s a good thing. You want to be where the craic is. You like […]
The Road to Thesis
Every day for the past year, as I’ve walked into City Centre, this has loomed before me: Winking at me, teasing me; the great big black and yellow sign. Thesis. Thesis. Thesis. Stop looking at me, Thesis. I’ve got a workshop/lecture/travel article/pastie/book launch to get to and… yes, fine; you’re what I came here to […]
Things I Will Miss About Dublin and Ireland
It’s not so bad. I’ll be back anyway for a few weeks this September to close out my lease, get the rest of my things, and publish my thesis… but Phase 1 of Operation Move to Italy goes down this Wednesday and, for all intents and purposes, this is the beginning of the end. I […]