Open Posts

Non-patron blog posts open for all to read

April in England: A New Poem

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abstract image of april in England poem trees river

Thinking of Easter, and of Eostre –the old goddess of spring and fertility who gave the celebration her name–along came another spring poem. I’ve called it “April in England” and to leave this one open to everyone.

(Sorry patrons, but I’ll have a new exclusive for you next week). Enjoy, all. And happy Easter. It’s my favorite time of the year, and this year it coincides with my birthday.

As they say in Ireland, Beannachtaí na Cásca ort! (May the blessings of Easter be on you).

St Patrick’s Day Live Event: More Than A Muse

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First in a series of events to launch my novel series about the great activist and poet, Maud Gonne, and the poet she inspired, WB Yeats. I’ll be doing online events mostly, but I’m starting at home, closing out the Irish Film week at Kino-Teatr with a talk: More Than A Muse: Maud Gonne and the Poetry of WB Yeats. Kino-Teatr is a magical corner of culture and they are currently fundraising.

Maud Gonne’s Political and Social Achievements

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Maud Gonne in old age

I believe Maud Gonne deserves public honor from Dublin for her social and political achievements yes, but her statue is particularly timely now. She embodies the sort of objections those in power use to keep out those who are different–female, queer, colored, disabled or outsidered in some other way. As a young woman she was dismissed as a rich English spy or a self-serving drama queen by unsympathetic nationalists. After she died she was dubbed a liar by unsympathetic scholars. In between she was always seen as “too” something. Too bloodthirsty, too divorced, too radical, too English, too feminist, too self-promoting, too extreme, too pathetic. Today, she is too anti-Semitic. The “More Than A Muse” campaign will highlight not just her many achievements but also the many ways she was unduly vilified.