B.J. Hoff's Blog, page 7

The Cross

 

Oh, cross that I can not ignore, the cross my Savior bids me bear, unwanted burden I abhor, yet one which He would have me share.

In freedom, I could walk away, deny I ever heard God's voice, or at the least I could delay the moment of that fateful choice.

I could endure it with regret, lamenting it with heavy sighs, determined to repay my debt while others rush to sympathize.

But now a shadow falls on me from high on Calvary's bitter hill ... when viewed against Christ's agony, my cross looks poor and smaller still.

He calls me child but dies alone--can I do less than share his pain? This cross I now claim as my own, rejoicing in eternal gain.

BJH (from Faces in the Crowd)

 

Announcing the 'Name Gant's Ballad-Loving Bobcat' Contest!

In River of Mercy, a mysterious bobcat appears from the hills, and makes nightly visits to Gant's cabin.  Gant discovers this wildcat has an appetite that's anything but ordinary:  he has a taste for fiddle music!

As a way of giving back to all the readers cheering for the completion of this third book,  I'm offering one winner the chance to choose the name of Gant's bobcat, and have their own name included in the book's credits.

The winner will also receive this gorgeous print, plus a signed copy of River of Mercy when it releases.

To enter the contest, simply visit the Notes section of my
Post your name suggestions in the comments section there.  Suggest as many names as you like.  The name should be appropriate for a young male wildcat, that looks just like the photo here, lives in the 1800s, and loves Irish music.

I'll select the winner next month, and look forward to sharing this part of the story with you!

The Emerald Ballad Renewed

If you'll take a look at the sidebar here on Grace Notes under "Now Available," you'll see two new additions: Books 3 and 4 of the new release of The Emerald Ballad--Land of a Thousand Dreams and Sons of an Ancient Glory. 

As some of you already know, The Emerald Ballad is a five-book series originally published several years ago, now in the process of being rereleased by Harvest House Publishers. The late Dr. Eoin McKiernan, founder of the Irish American Cultural Institute, said this about the first book in the series (Song of the Silent Harp): "All the color and imagery of a film enlivens this story ... Rarely has a novel captured so authenticaly the enduring faith of the Irish peasant ..."

The stories are set during Ireland's "Great Hunger," the potato famine of the mid-1800s, and take place both in Ireland and in America. More than anything else, the series features characters who represent the Irish immigrants and Irish Americans who played a huge part in settling and building America. It's a love story, an adventure, a journey of faith and hope.

It's been said that if you have but one drop of Irish blood running through your veins, then you're Irish. In truth, it does seem that those who don't have at least one Irish ancestor in their bloodline are few indeed. 

I invite you to visit here and learn more about the Emerald Ballad series. If you've read the original editions, you might still want to have a look and watch the videos for each book. I've already heard from a number of readers who are reading the books again. Of course, if you haven't yet read the Emerald Ballad novels, naturally I hope you will. 

By the way, the fifth and final book in the series will be available early this fall.

Enjoy!

BJ

If You Want to Know More about the Irish ...

Among my personal collection of research books and just-for-reading-pleasure books is a treasury of books about Ireland and the Irish, the Irish  American immigration experience, Irish history, Irish poetry, proverbs, and short stories, Irish ways and Irish wisdom (oh, yes, there's a wealth of it), and just about anything you've ever wanted to know about the Irish or Irish Americans. 

I thought St. Patrick's Day would be a good day to offer a few suggestions for those of you who might be looking to fill the gaps in your own knowledge of Erin's Children. Following are just a few of my favorites. Keep in mind that the list could go on and on. In the meantime, Happy St. Patrick's Day and God bless us! 

BJ

The Story of the Irish Race by Seumas MacManus

Ireland and Her People by Terence Sheehy

The Book of the Irish Countryside (Collection) The Black Staff Press

A Seat Behind the Coachman by Diarmaid O Muirithe

The Green Flag (Volumes One, Two, and Three) by Robert Kee

Ireland Past and Present edited by Brendan Kennelly

Irish Traditions edited by Kathleen Jo Ryan and Bernard Share

Heritage of Ireland by Brian de Breffny

Hall's Ireland edited by Michael Scott

The Great Hunger by Cecil Woodham-Smith

This Great Calamity: The Irish Famine 1845-52 b y Christine Kinealy

Paddy's Lament by Thomas Gallagher

Famine by Liam O'Flaherty

The Great Shame by Thomas Keneally

Of Irish Ways by Mary Murray Delaney

Ireland: A Cultural Encyclopaedia Brian De Breffny, General Editor

Going to America by Terry Coleman

Emigrants and Exiles: by Kerby A. Miller

A Portrait of the Irish in America by William D. Griffin

Wherever Green Is Worn by Tim Pat Coogan

100 Irish Lives by Martin Wallace

May the Road Rise to Meet You by Michael Padden and Robert Sullivan

Celtic Design by Iain Zaczek

Ireland's Traditional Crafts by David Shaw-Smith

Irish Cooking by Ethel Minogue

Songs of the Irish by Donal O'Sullivan

Popular Irish Songs edited by Florence Leniston

An Irish Country Christmas by Alice Taylor

The Irish Christmas Book edited by John Killen

How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill

A Gift of Irish Wisdom by Cyril A. Reilly and Renee Travis Reilly

Emerald Isle (Poems and Quotations) compiled by Anna Nicholas

A Garland of Irish Verse edited by Gwynn Hayes

Ireland in Poetry edited by Charles Sullivan

 

 

A List to Make the Celts Dance for Joy

Over at Inkwell Inspirations Debra Marvin has compiled a wonderfully comprehensive list of Celtic fiction. Some new and some old titles are featured. If your taste runs to fiction with flavors of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, etc.--especially historical--this is a list to print out and keep! Some wonderful stories here for your reading pleasure.    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, andThe 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 own Song of Erin.

Enjoy!

BJ

 

A Wee Bit of Celtic--Updated

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 a somewhat revised Celtic collage for your sampling.

A couple of the the newer--but not really "new"--groups drawing attention 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.  They've been seen on PBS, but whether the DVD of their Dublin performance is available, 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 and perhaps more of that than traditional Irish. But they're talented singers, and you can't fault their showmanship. Just be aware if you lean strongly toward the traditional Irish, this might not be 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 rowdy, 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. Some consider this 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 one of 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'snot 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 ...

An Irish Century--Stephen Small. Much in Ireland has changed. This book, however, gives a close and detailed look at Ireland between the years of 1845--1945. Not only does it address many of the major political issues that helped to create Ireland's problems, but its fascinating photographs and narrative manages to capture the genuine flavor of the daily Irish life of both the urban and rural Irish. 

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

BJ

 

 

How Writers Work

Nick Harrison, Sr. Editor at Harvest House Publishers, conducted a fascinating three-part survey of several published writers, both in fiction and nonfiction, to discover the different ways in which we work. See the results at his blog.

BJ

In the Hollow of His Hand

 

Many years ago, a close friend who had been devastated by a series of illnesses and family problems asked me for some sort of assurance that God had not entirely deserted her, that He still heard her pleas for help and deliverance. Not long after that, I wrote a text for use in a devotional gift book, and it occurred to me during the writing that her question had perhaps prompted the thought and the words of that text. I knew others who had stood in her place. In fact, I had been there myself. Haven't we all, at one time or another? 

Recently, I heard the desperation behind a similar question from someone else, and this text again came to mind. It's long out of print, it's brief and simple--and it's not literary "art"-- but just in case you're standing in that same place, it's for you:

God leads me through the lifetime of my days. He strengthens me in countless little ways. He guides me on so many paths unknown. He guards me as a shepherd keeps His own. He shields me, though I may not always see the many ways my Lord delivers me. He lifts me when I fall and helps me stand. He holds me in the hollow of His hand.

(BJH--from Thorns and Thrones)

 

Hope for the New Year

I see your hand, Lord, in everything around me--and in every aspect of my life I seek your will. I see your plan, Lord, in all the years behind me--and in the days and years to come, I'll trust you still.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

Happy New Year!

BJ