John Duhan - The Waste Land of Modern Culture

Johnny Duhan's take on modern culture or (Modern Heresies) was brought to my attention by another member of our group and his in-depth knowledge on poetry or literature is way above my pay grade. He has other videos out there on social media and such, on both The Beatles and James Joyce and others but his essay on Bob Dylan seems to have disappeared off Youtube. Agree or disagree, following on from Spoken Verse and his reading of The Wasteland you'll be entertained and perhaps a little more curious as to why modern poetry or literature is where it is. The easy response being, well it had to go somewhere, and perhaps so, but out in the wasteland somebody is probably asking the  "last" question. Or should that be word. Look it up! With thanks to Johnny Duhan for loading and the old share button on youtube. The above is well worth a listen.

* Johnny Duhan is one of Ireland's best known singer/songwriters.    

"The Waste Land - Death by Water & What the Thunder Said" by T.S. Eliot ...

And so to the end. Hope to come up with an interesting analysis. But that's for the next time, if possible. Again with thanks to Spoken Verse (Tom O' Bedlam) and the share button on youtube where you can read the comments as well.

"The Waste Land Part III The Fire Sermon" by T.S. Eliot (read by Tom O'...

And so on to part three - educational if nothing else - allusion, allusion. So you need to know lots of lots or head for some analysis. (Poem of course). Keep reading! With thanks to Tom O' Bedlam and the share button on youtube.

"The Waste Land - Part II - A Game of Chess" by T.S. Eliot (read by Tom ...

Again with thanks to Spoken Verse, Tom O' Bedlam for the reading and of course the old share button on youtube. This is all leading somewhere I'm sure and as someone who's been accused of writing crossword puzzles this is a long one with more to come. You'll have to chase those references up yourself! 

"The Waste Land - Part I - The Burial of the Dead" by T. S. Eliot (read ...

From the Spoken Verse site on youtube read by Tom O' Bedlam and with thanks. Said to be one of the most important poems of the twentieth century. But a few more episodes to come! You'll have to do your own research and if we make it to the end I'll let someone else dissect! 

Troubles ~ Michael Farry.

Troubles ~ Michael Farry.

Michael Farry is a poet and historian from Sligo in the west of Ireland and his writing here combines both disciplines to provide an insight into a period that has left a certain legacy that is still not resolved today. His third collection of poems brings to life again the mind and times of those who shaped the place we live in now and is no small collection. He ranges across any number of different interests and brings his own particular insights or take, unearthing names or events that the ordinary reader would not be familiar with and all with the expertise and competent technique readers of  his other books would be more than a little versed or accustomed to. You might beg to differ on some of the points but you'd better have your homework done. The book ends on a humorous note (or not) The Modern Day Historian is Condemned in that it takes its inspiration or at least some of it from Seamus Heaney's poem The Flight Path. Times you can't win. The irony of it all is I suppose that one hundred years after the events recorded here the major parties concerned would go into government together. If you wish to purchase a copy: Link to the right. For those with an interest in the history of the time, a must. Scroll further back to The Trim Poetry Festival for Anne Tannam's launch of the book. Published by Revival Press/Limerick. Michael Farry lives in Trim, County Meath.

Chasing the Wind ~ James Linnane!

Chasing the Wind ~ James Linnane!

Chasing the Wind by James Linnane is a series of reflections on love, life and everything in between. A total of eighty nine poems in all, it is a fair size collection and as the author say in the intro, "I have been scribbling poetry since I was 17, good and bad, about everything that happens in my life: joy, pain, despair, frustration, love, hate and anything in between can induce a poem in me". He writes about family, friends and other people and often with a humour that tells its own story. His social commentary has a keen edge to it and very hard to argue with the sentiments expressed. A member of a number of writing groups including The Boyne Writers and The Meath Writers' Circle he has published five books to date including the one above. His other books are, Never take an Irishman seriously unless he's armed (New York 1988) The Life and Times of a Gotcha (2011) The Potless Generation (2014) and Leaving Galway ( 2016). He now lives in Ballivor, County Meath with his wife and two daughters. 

For those who wish to contact James or to purchase a copy of his books his email is :Jameslinn48@gmail.co

His mobile: 00353-89-4216531

Chasing the Wind (2020)