Seamus Heaney

Posted: March 17, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Authors who won | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

          When I was a young freshman in the “smart kids” 200 level English Lit & Composition class, I have to admit that I was NOT ready for Seamus Heaney. Our professor, Dr. Dennis Dooley (I miss him, would like to say THANK YOU wherever he is now, hopefully enjoying his retirement), was quite the fan. Which means we read A LOT of Mr. Heaney. He had even come to our wee-bitty college for its Writer’s Series in 1984. Oh, to have been there. 

Anyway, Mr. Heaney is a poet from Northern Ireland, who very much identifies himself as being Irish, NOT British. He has also written plays and prose, and perhaps the best translation out there of Beowulf. In 1995, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, which officially makes him supercool for life.

His other awards include:

Still writing, still producing, he has an extensive bibliography, and an impressive résumé befitting a Laureate.   He has been on the faculties of Harvard, Berkeley, Oxford, Queen’s University, and has received honorary degrees from several more institutions.

His works and archives are divided between Queen’s University Belfast and Emory University in Atlanta.

Other than his incredible imagery and skill with words, things I most like about Mr. Heaney:

While he writes about politics and The Troubles, he himself refuses to claim that poetry is going to change history, and has avoided taking an overt stand in the difficulty, instead offering a personal reflection of his experiences.  Maybe that’s the only way to be honest about it all. To stay above the fray as it were.

My other favorite quote,

 “In 2003, when asked if there was any figure in popular culture who aroused interest in poetry and lyrics, Heaney praised rap artist Eminem, saying “He has created a sense of what is possible. He has sent a voltage around a generation. He has done this not just through his subversive attitude but also his verbal energy.”[26][27]“

Interesting. very interesting. If you haven’t read Seamus, take a minute. 

 

My Hometown- A challenge

Posted: November 26, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Authors who didn't win, Authors who won, soapbox | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

I am from Knoxville, TN, right outside the Smoky Mountains. I have visited and lived lots of other places, but once I can see those Mtns. on the horizon, I feel like I’m home. It’s hard to explain, but just seeing them every day somehow makes life better.

In the last year, we’ve moved back. It’s been an interesting ride, and some days I wonder why, or if we’ll stay. Either way, I know that this little bit of geography will always hold a special spot in my heart. That said, I thought I’d take a moment and introduce some authors who hail from this spot, or who lived here while they wrote. It’s an eclectic group for such a bitty place.

1. Cormac McCarthy– This gentleman was born in Sevierville and grew up in Knoxville/surrounding areas. One of his novels, Suttree,  is set in Knoxville. The Road won the Pulitzer, and several of his other novels have been made into movies. (All the Pretty Horses)

2. James Agee– Born in the shadow of the UT campus (Fort Sander’s area for locals), his autobiographical novel A Death in the Family also won the Pulitzer. Lots of period place references.

3. William M. Bass– This is the forensic anthropoligist behind the Body Farm. Yes, it’s a real place, and there are dead bodies under Neyland Stadium. In addition to the countless academic papers he has published, he co-authors a series of mysteries under the name Jefferson Bass. While not actually born in Knoxville, he claims it as his hometown now.

4. Nikki Giovanni– The famed poet, now a professor at Virginia Tech & Fisk, was born in Knoxville, but moved to Ohio as a child.

5. Darby Conley– The creator of the Get Fuzzy comic strip moved to Knoxville when he was 2 and went to Doyle HS in South Knoxville. Watch for Rob to wear a 1982 World’s Fair shirt. 🙂

6. Frances Hodgson Burnett– Creator of The Little Princess (and who I NEVER knew had ever left England) began her writing career here in Knoxville, and married a Knoxville native (Mr. Burnett). Who knew? Eventually, she earned enough to move back to Europe though and never returned to TN.

7. Lowell Cunningham– A.k.a the guy who made up Men in Black. I love those movies. I guess I  need to read the comics some day.

8. Alex Haley– author of Roots is from here (Norris, but close enough).

It’s an interesting little list.  SO- here’s my challenge to you:

Find an author from your hometown, or one who lived in your hometown for a significant amount of time. Read something by them. Bonus points if it’s someone you haven’t read, or who you haven’t read in forever. Comment and tell me who it is and what you thought, or blog about it and let us all know. 🙂

If you participate, you can copy the image and link back to this post or to the page up top. 🙂