The Irish Americans
It’s not easy to define what it means to be Irish in America. Jim Sheridan clearly mastered it. Frank McCourt quite literally wrote the book on it. The rest of us, well, we do the best we can. Craic Addict aims to sharpen our identities through lively discussions about Hibernian culture, politics, arts and world views. So, pull up a chair and join the conversation.
November 15th, 2006 at 6:44 pm
Can you recommend books by Frank McCourt or Jim Sheridan?
November 21st, 2006 at 9:01 am
Ahh, the green milk and the smell of boiled cabbage. How can anyone resist the charms of the Irish.
November 21st, 2006 at 2:47 pm
I think that you either get drunk on St Pattys Day or you’re in AA would be a requirement to be real irish & not a wanabe….
November 21st, 2006 at 3:00 pm
Being Irish is “trendy”…so much so, that a lot of people are willing to fake it. This doesn’t bother me at all…in fact, as a true Irishman, I find it to be quite flattering. I can think of numerous instances where people wear shirts that say, “Kiss me, I’m Irish,” or wear other token Irish gear despite not being even remotely Irish. This is great, as it reflect the true inclusive spirit of our people.
November 27th, 2006 at 1:50 pm
Books from Frank McCourt include Angela’s Ashes (sp?) and the sequel Tis’. There are probably more, but I’ve read these two and would recommend both, although the first is the better of the two.
November 28th, 2006 at 12:26 pm
McCourt’s most recent book is “Teacher Man” about his experiences in a New York classroom. It’s not as nuanced or eloquent as Angela’s Ashes, but he certinaly knows how to tell a story.
His brother, Malachay, wrote two memoirs as well, but they’re not as gripping. (Kinda like the Sylvester and Frank Stallone of Irish lit, I guess..) However, I’ve seen both give public readings of their work and Malachay, an actor by day, blew me away with his humor, flare and mastery of Irish ballads. Check out http://www.malachymccourt.comfor his tour dates. You won’t regret it.