In honor of Bloomsday, here's a photo (taken in 1999) of Davy Byrnes pub, Duke Street, Dublin, where on June 16, 1904, Leopold Bloom
entered Davy Byrne's. Moral pub. He doesn't chat. Stands a drink now and then. But in leapyear once in four. Cashed a cheque for me once.
(Quoted from the full text of Ulysses, at Project Gutenberg, which you can read online for free when you're, you know, bored at work.)
I don't know what to make of Solas Nua's latest theater offering. The Washington-based Irish arts organization is staging a "promenade show" called Swampoodle, starting this weekend. All their website gives by way of description is:
It's the question on everyone's lips: What on earth is Swampoodle? A rundown part of town where the Beatles sang and the girls screamed? An underground ghetto where the Irish fought and died? A beat-up urban Cathedral where Malcolm X lectured the Nazis and Nureyev danced? There's only one way to find out!
Warning! Swampoodle may contain eye-popping high-wire feats, roller derby smack-downs and scenes of a spectacular nature.
Please note that this is a promenade show and the audience is not seated.
As far as I can tell, you wander along with the cast inside the U-line arena -- which was renamed the Washington Coliseum n 1959 -- where, according to Wikipedia, the Beatles played their first concert in the U.S. More importantly (presumably), from Solas Nua's standpoint, it's located in the area of DC once known as Swampoodle -- an area settled by Irish immigrants in the 19th century fleeing the potato famine. Again, according to Wikipedia (so it must be true):
The name Swampoodle is attributed to a newspaper reporter covering the ground-breaking of St Aloysius Catholic church in 1857, who referred to the land at the site on North Capitol and I street as containing numerous swamps and puddles - which often occurred when Tiber Creek overflowed its banks.
I've lived in DC for most of the past 31 years, and don't ever recall hearing this term, which may be reason enough to check out Solas Nua's potentially bizarre show.
Swampoodle
Friday, May 20- Saturday, May 28
Tickets are $16
Audience members requiring special assistance should contact the Solas Nua office directly at (202) 315-1317 so that arrangements can be made.
Photo of MB, Dubliner, two Guinnesses, and a Smithwick's,
at The Bailey, Duke Street, Dublin, by Mike, 2005
Pandora is offering three Irish-themed channels, just in time for St. Patrick's Day.
They can be found under "Themed" stations under the genre stations list. Or if have more energy, just create your own mix, starting with your favorite Irish artist or song. And have a happy St. Patrick's Day!
This is ridiculously late notice on my part, but if you're in NY (or taking the train up tomorrow morning with me) it's not too late to see three talented Irish writers read from their work at NYU's Glucksman Ireland House, tomorrow night (December 2) at 7 p.m. I've raved often about Claire Kilroy's books, including her latest, All Names Have Been Changed, about a group studying creative writing at Trinity College in the '80s. I absolutely loved Paul Murray's quirky and hilarious first novel, An Evening of Long Goodbyes, and I'm looking forward to three hours of uninterrupted Amtrak time to find out what happens at the Hallowe'en Hop at Seabrook College in his new novel, Skippy Dies, which has been long listed for the Man Booker Prize. Kevin Barry's debut book of short stories, There Are Little Kingdoms, received the 2007 Rooney Prize for Irish Literature. I haven't read Barry's book yet, but that makes the event more fun. It's like tapas.
You can reserve a spot by calling 212-998-3950 (option 3) or emailing ireland.house@nyu.edu. Those who aren't members of Ireland House can give a $10 donation at the door.
Tomorrow's a good day to take the Metro to work --Solas Nua is handing out 10,000 free Irish books. You can find out at which Metro stations you'll have the luck of the Irish at Solas Nua's website. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Photo from www.solasnua.org.
Solas Nua, the Washington-based Irish arts organization, is holding their first Irish writers festival starting this Thursday, March 11, through Monday, March 15. Claire Kilroy, above, author of Tenderwire, All Names Have Been Changed, and All Summer, will appear Saturday, March 13, at 4 pm at the Mount Vernon Square Busboys & Poets. The only thing better than reading Claire's books is hearing her read from them. The full schedule is set out below; all events are free. What a great way to kick of St. Patrick's Week (why limit it to a day?).
Venues:
The Goethe Institut, 812 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001Photo from solasnua.org.
Solas Nua, the DC-based Irish arts organization, is screening Irish films for free every fourth Monday in their "Irish Popcorn" series. This Monday, January 25, they offer "Short Order" (pictured above), directed by Anthony Byrne, with John Hurt and Vanessa Redgrave (among others). You can see a trailer at Solas Nua's website. Screenings take place at Flashpoint, 916 G Street, NW, Washington, DC, at 7 pm. Doors open at 6:30, and they don't take reservations, so you can just show up. Upcoming screenings include:
February 22: "Breakfast on Pluto"
March 22: "The Tiger's Tail"
April 26: "Cinegael Paradiso"
May 24: "A Song for Rebecca"
June 28: "Tara Road"
July 26: "When Brendan Met Trudy"
AP Photo
A new St. Patrick's Day tradition. Brilliant!
It's that time of year again, when you could be walking out of the Metro or into a coffee shop, minding your own business, and someone will hand you a free book. And not ask for a donation or if you've been saved. Solas Nua is holding it's 4th annual Irish Book Day tomorrow, March 17. Given the generally appalling way St. Patrick's Day is marked in many places around this fine country of ours (just ask anyone who was in Hoboken for the St. Patrick's Day parade two weeks ago), I find Irish Book Day a very nice tradition. According to Solas Nua, this year’s books will include titles by Colum McCann, Colm Toibin, Anne Enright, Alf MacLochlainn, Brigid Brophym, Chris Agee and Brian Lynch (who will be reading from his novel, The Winner of Sorrow, at the Arts Club of Washington on March 31).
For another option Tuesday night that's a bit less cerebral, Solas Nua and Washington Improv Theater are jointly offering "Craicdown! A Hooley of Epic Proportions" night at the Source Theatre (1835 14th Street, NW), for $15, with a reception following. Here's what you can expect:
You can buy tickets in advance here. Finally, Solas Nua's production of Pumpgirl, a play by young Irish playwright Abbie Spallen, is running through March 22 at Flashpoint (916 G Street, NW).
Speaking of Irish literature, on the way home from work tonight I heard R.L. Stine, author of the children's book series Goosebumps, begin an essay in NPR's "You Must Read This" series with the following:
I thought, exactly! That's why I'm the second slowest reader on the planet! (I defer to Dubliner for first place.) Even better, he went on to say "This happened to me on page after page of Sebastian Barry's heartbreaking World War I novel, A Long Long Way." Sebastian Barry is a wonderful author, and A Long Long Way, one of my very favorite books. You can read (or listen to) the rest of Stine's essay on NPR's website. He quotes his son, a music producer, as saying about the book that "It's not like reading a novel. There's music on every page." When I wrote about it in 2006 I described it (quoting Barry out of context) as "a singing book." So between the two of us it must be true.
Photo courtesy of Solas Nua.
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