Many people believe they have a novel inside them that should be written. Many, though, never get around to writing it. Here are my 10 suggestions for getting it done: 1. Tune out all those people who say, “With today’s publishing environment, it’ll never get published. Even more important, tune out your own internal […]
Month: August 2014
The Irish Banshee
In Shanty Gold, Mary Boland is transformed into a Banshee by Kamua Okafor, her friend who is the son of an African witch doctor. He uses simple kitchen items to turn her from beauty to monster. From what I can tell from research, Banshees are sometimes hideous, sometimes beautiful, sometimes young, sometimes old. The […]
In Memory of Robin Williams
This is somewhat off the subject of Shanty Gold, but it seems right. My niece posted the following on Facebook this morning. Her mother, Kathie, was the sweetest young girl, woman, mother, and wife in the world. Our worlds went different ways, mine to Chicago, Kathy’s to Kentucky, and I had no idea what they […]
Irish Jokes
One of the most challenging things about writing a novel about Ireland and the Irish is making sure you insert plenty of the great Celtic sense of humor. Why is it challenging? Because the Irish are profane. Their minds are dirtier than anyone I’ve ever known (perhaps excepting Australians). I don’t know if it’s […]
The Triumph and Tragedy of Cobh
In 1849, when Shanty Gold‘s 13-year-old protagonist Mary Boland sailed off from Ireland on The Pilgrim’s Dandy, the Cork Harbor was in the midst of an identity crisis. Because in 1849, Queen Victoria visited Ireland and the British changed the name of the port from Cove to Queenstown in her honor. The Irish resented […]
Immigration, a gnarly conundrum
Immigration is front and center in the news today. But hasn’t this conundrum hounded this country for most of its existence? Now. it’s our Southwestern borders challenged by an influx of immigrants. During the time of my novel, Shanty Gold, (1849-1853), it was the Northeastern ports, mostly New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. The 13-year-old protagonist […]