BJ Hoff's GRACE NOTES

Congratulations to the Fiction Editor of the Year

Just dropping by long enough to announce that the AWSA has honored Nick Harrison of Harvest House Publishers with the Golden Scroll Fiction Editor of the Year Award.

As one of his always grateful authors, let me say that this is more than well-deserved. Congratulations, Nick!

BJ

The Time Has Come ...

Yes, it's that time again, boys and girls. Time when everything else goes to the back of the room until the manuscript-in-process is completed. Time when life-as-I-know-it retreats to the shadows as I face ... The Deadline.

That said, unless some extraordinary event that simply won't wait for comment occurs in the meantime, you'll hear from me ... after I type "The End."

May it be soon.

BJ

For Those Who Like American History--and Those Who Don't

For those of you who enjoy American history, who love to dig into biographies, novels, and films about our past and the people who launched America and helped to build it--and for those of you who don't love American history and think you want nothing to do with it ... I recommend the book, John Adams, and the HBO series based on the book, which was recently released on DVD.

Before you moan and groan, let me dispel any notion that you'll be subjected to a dry and dusty experience to sleep through. The Pulitzer Prize winning book by David McCullough is absolutely riveting, and the DVD series--although it contains some noticeable differences in mood and highlighted scenes--is excellent in its own right.

I'll admit that I rented this not knowing quite what to expect and wondering if any mini-series could do justice to McCullough's outstanding book. I hadn't watched much more than the first few scenes before I relaxed and knew we were in for one of the more pleasurable film experiences we've enjoyed for years. By the time we came to the end, I almost felt as though I ought to bend a knee to Laura Linney, who portrayed Abigail Adams--what a spectacular performance she gave--and pay homage to Stephen Dillane, who made Thomas Jefferson "come alive" as no other actor has in any film (that I've seen) in which the complex Jefferson appears in a key role. As for Paul Giamatti, who portrayed John Adams, it took me awhile to be comfortable with him in the role, but he seemed to "grow into it" after a few scenes, and if he wasn't exactly "brilliant" as Adams, he was certainly believable and many-faceted. "Brilliant" I'll reserve for Laura Linney. I don't have an abundance of aesthetic distance at the best of times, and this was an instance where I forgot entirely that I was watching an actress at work. She was that good. 

There's also a delightful interview in the special features section with David McCullough, who clearly loves what he does. Never mind that he's an author who never settles for less than excellence--there's no missing the fact that he has great fun with every aspect of the work. It's worth renting the DVD simply to watch the interview and get a glimpse into the mind and heart of one of our finest living historians and authors.

BJ 

A Wee Bit of Celtic (2)

For those of you who prefer your Celtic stories in dramatic form rather than documentary, here's a brief addition to my previous entry with a few more book suggestions. *Note: With one exception, these are "general market" novels, not CBA books. There's some "language" and possibly scenes that might be offensive to some. That said, I stand by my opinion that they're great books and important reading for those interested in all things Irish.  

Famine by Liam O'Flaherty. A great historical novel about the Potato Famine of the 1840s--but it's much more. To quote William Plomer's copy on the back cover: "It is an indictment of tyranny and the callous misgovernment of a people treated as if they were in a state of armed insurrection instead of their being on the point of destruction by famine." A thoroughly Irish novel by a wonderfully talented Irish writer.  

Trinity by Leon Uris. I consider this Uris's magnum opus--yes, even more powerful than his Exodus. My copies are well-worn. One could question how a contemporary American writer could so accurately and sensitively portray Ireland's bloody and tragic struggle for freedom, but once you read Trinity, you realize that, although Uris wasn't Irish, Ireland's story was in the hands of a true Seanchai, a storyteller capable of bringing one of the most dramatic, sweeping eras of Irish history to life. There's no way to describe a novel of this quality--it simply defies description. 

Walter Macken's historical trilogy: Seek the Fair land, The Silent People, and The Scorching Wind. Macken, a Galway native, wrote these classic novels in the 1950s, but they will never be old. The best recommendation I can give them is that they take you to the land, the towns, the countryside of which he writes and allow you to see it and experience it. You will mourn and love and rejoice through the characters, and even if you don't have a drop of Irish blood in you, you'll feel Irish after you read these three. 

The late Thomas Flanagan's trilogy: The Year of the French, The Tenants of Time, and The End of the Hunt. These big, colorful, masterfully written novels range from the failed uprising of 1748 through the 1916 Easter Rebellion and the emergence of the IRA. Flanagan told his stories with a dramatic and realistic mix of both historical and fictional characters, and he told them with genius and brilliance.

Oh--dare I mention a certain five-book series entitled  An Emerald Ballad  by yours truly?  

There are so many, many more. I'd especially love to go into more depth about novels by Irish writers, but no more time for now ...

P.S. After I published this, a friend emailed me that I really should have included another of my own efforts among these. Well ... why not? So here's a shameless plug for my most recent release, Song of Erin.

Enjoy!

BJ

  

A Wee Bit of Celtic ...

Though you'll find a number of suggestions on the sidebar here at Grace Notes for Celtic music--and from time to time I'll mention a book or two that might feature an Irish setting or Irish characters, there's always more to give a nod to. Here's just a brief Celtic collage for your sampling.

A couple of the the newer--but not really "new"--groups drawing attention lately in Irish music:  

The High Kings. Although their presentation and staging leave a bit to be desired, they have a fine sound, wonderful harmonies, and a lot of excitement in their performance. This isn't an attempt at a "Celtic Man" type-group. Unlike "Celtic Woman," who mix contemporary and New Age into their performances, the High Kings focus entirely on traditional Irish music. Their enthusiasm prompts a good connection with the audience, and their strong Celtic blend transports you, at least temporarily, to Ireland. They'll squeeze your heart with sweet melancholy and have you tapping your feet in the same program. Their only CD to date of which I'm aware is titled, appropriately enough--The High Kings. They've recently been seen on PBS, but whether the DVD of that Dublin performance has been released yet I'm not sure.   

I've been asked about Celtic Thunder. I confess I'm not excited about this group, the reason being that they seem to do a little of everything but traditional Irish. But they're talented singers, and you can't fault their showmanship. Just be aware if you lean toward the traditional Irish, this isn't your group. 

You already know about Celtic Woman, so I won't elaborate, at least not much. They're beautiful, talented, and creative with a lovely sound but just a little too much New Age stuff to keep my interest. After a while, the NA music all begins to sound alike. But then I cut my teeth on the old Clancy Brothers Irish and, though they're often irreverent and sometimes irritating, they're just so thoroughly traditional (even when they're doing contemporary, they're traditional) that I can't quite make the move to the "pretty" Irish music. I like mine with more grit.

Most of my CDs by Mary Black have been replaced a couple of times because they were played so often. My favorite? Mary Black Collected, one of her earlier albums. She's much more popular and more highly honored in Ireland than here in the U.S., though she does have a broad, devoted Irish-American following here. Mary Black has one of the most lovely, haunting, completely Irish voices I've ever heard. Listen to her sing for a few minutes, and you'll never forget that voice. I wonder if her popularity among Americans hasn't been quite so widespread  simply because her voice is so thoroughly Irish. My favorite Irish female vocalist. 

Books about or by the Irish:

Because it would take pages and pages to list some of the ones I recommend, both old and new, let me just mention a few of the older "classics" for those who truly want to know more about the Irish--and before anyone harangues me about not including his/her favorite--this is a blog, not a book. And I have deadlines ... 

The Great Hunger, by Cecil Woodham-Smith. This is the "Bible" about the potato famine of the 1840s. It's been called "scholarly," "distinguished," "meticulously written," etc. All that's very nice, but what it really is, is the finest, most thoroughly, accurately detailed book ever written about the famine. The tragedy of the Irish--their agony, their humiliation, their devastation, their suffering, their courage, and their hope--bleeds through the pages and takes you there. Over nine years of research went into this classic, and I guarantee that you can't read it without being moved ... and changed. This is one of the books--and probably the most significant book--that started me on my personal quest to understand the how and the why of Ireland's "great hunger." 

Paddy's Lament, by Thomas Gallagher. My second favorite book about the potato famine. This is a powerful, shocking book that reads like a novel--but unfortnately it's not a novel, it's all too true. Although no one can begin to explain the violence and turmoil of Ireland, this book provides an in-depth look at the roots of it.

The New York Irish, edited by Ronald H. Bayor and Timothy J. Meagher. An intimidating tome in appearance, this is actually a collection of writings. The title says it all. Because I love writing about the New York Irish, I suppose it's only natural that I love reading about them also. I struck gold with this one. 

May the Road Rise to Meet You, by Michael Padden and Robert Sullivan. There are hundreds of books about Irish-American history (and sometimes I feel as if I've read them all, though I know that's a huge stretch), but if you want just one that's fun to read and gives you a quick look at everything about the Irish in America from their arrival through their art, religion, and folklore, try this one. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. wrote an interesting and inspiring foreword for this.

The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing--Seamus Deane, General Editor. This is at the other end of the spectrum from the book above, but if you're truly obsessive about Irish literature, this belongs on your shelf. It's the most comprehensive anthology of Irish writing in print: three volumes of prose fiction, poetry, and song, including biographical information and annotated text. It covers 1500 years of Irish writing, is ridiculously expensive, and now hard to find. It's a heavy, three-volume set in a slipcase (at least that's how my edition was packaged). Takes up some room, but as I said, if you're truly obsessive ...

Maybe in a future post I'll cover a few more. Call it a labor of love ...

BJ