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| On the Shoreline of Knowledge: Irish Wanderings
ISBN: 9781609381301
Platform/Publisher: JSTOR / University of Iowa Press
Digital rights: Users: unlimited; Printing: chapter; Download: chapter
Subjects: English essays -- Irish authors;
Arthur is proof that the art of the essay is flourishing. In his newest (after Words of the Grey Wind), the eloquent Irishman meditates on myriad effects of quotidian life-his mother's coat, a yellow pencil, his father's briefcase, a handful of flower seeds-, and weaves a tapestry of the mundane to ultimately reveal illuminating patterns of thought and understanding. Though Arthur is decidedly Irish-his heritage and homeland feature heavily here-, he traverses a broad range of subject matter, from his mother's signature in a vocal training textbook to a chestnut tree outside Anne Frank's safe-house, and effortlessly draws connections and parallels that resonate beyond the coasts of his Emerald Isle. The author credits memory with having both "a creative as well as a re-creative element;" so too does this book warrant reading and rereading. Many will likely need a dictionary handy while working their way through this diverse collection, but those who persevere will be richly rewarded for their effort and attention. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
C hris Arthur has published several books of essays, including Irish Nocturnes , Irish Willow , Irish Haiku , Irish Elegies , and Words of the Grey Wind . He lives in Fife, Scotland. |
