Sunday, February 26, 2012

Reading Tour of the US

Thanks to the ongoing support of Culture Ireland, my 6th US reading tour starts this week when I fly to Seattle to do some readings with Washington, award-winning, poet Susan Rich. First stop is Highline Community College in Des Moines, WA and then to Hyla Middle School in Bainbridge Island, arranged by sculptor Elllen Berdinner whom I met at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre last October.

On 4th March Susan and I read at the Elliot Bay Book Store in Seattle. Susan has been to Ireland on a number of occasions and read at CuĂ­rt in 2004. She returns to Ireland this summer to facilitate a poetry workshop at Anam Cara Writers' Retreat in Co. Cork. My next stop is the University of Missouri, in St Louis, thanks to an invitation from poet and professor of Irish Studies there, Eamonn Wall. He and his wife Drucilla come to Galway every year and I am delighted to be meeting up with them again.

I fly to Connecticut on 9th to meet up with my friend and poetry collaborator Lisa C. Taylor. Lisa and I collaborated on a collection titled The Other Side of Longing published by Arlen House in 2011 and we continue that tour again with a reading at Eastern Connecticut State University and at Manchester Community College, on 15th March at the Misha-maya-gat Spoken Word and Music Series.

St Patrick's Day will be spent on Cape Cod where I have lots of great friends before I return to Ireland on 18th.

After the Peregrine Readings

What a great idea the Peregrine Readings are. Starting off with the launch in the Irish Writers' Centre on Tuesday 21st, I had a wonderful time reading with Ulick O'Connor and Ferdia McAnna in Parnell Square. There were pancakes and wine, a lively audience and Ulick and Ferdia in fine form. Wednesday and Thursday saw us in Roscommon town and Boyle.

Roscommon Library is housed in a very impressive building, which has just been refurbished. Our reading in Boyle was in King House which was even more elegant.

What is great about this project is the chance for readers to meet writers they may not get a chance to hear and equally it is always a treat for writers to experience new venues.

Thanks to Jack Harte and all the staff of the Writers' Centre for their kindness, to Jack Gilligan, Carolyn and Patricia for introducing the readings. If a Peregrine Reading is coming to a venue near you, grab the opportunity with both hands.Link

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Peregrine Readings at the Irish Writers' Centre

Time to get back on the road with some prose peregrinations this week.

I am delighted to be reading with Ulick O' Connor and Ferdia Mc Anna as part of the Peregrine Readings which kick off at the Irish Writers' Centre, 19 Parnell Square on Tues 21st February at 7.00pm.

Wednesday 22nd will see us in The County Library in Roscommon at 7.00pm and we finish off in Boyle Library on Thursday 23rd with our third reading starting at7.00pm.

Thanks to the Irish Writers' Centre's creativity, fiction is now being read and appreciated, not just in the major cities of Ireland, but throughout the country.

Well done to the Writers' Centre