Caroline E. Farrell's Blog, page 24
July 20, 2015
From the Librarian’s Cellar: AMY
Compulsive viewing, and yet, like watching a runaway train careening towards kingdom come, knowing how it ends, and yet, something in your belly wants to reach out and grab the red chord. But you can’t, just as in life, the few people who really cared for her couldn’t. The ravenous downward spiral of a short, smart, sassy existence documented meticulously, and magnified beyond our comprehension – as if for the predestined aftermath of the carnage, there would be found footage. Cruel world.
July 18, 2015
From the Librarian’s Cellar: Eggshells
“Vivian doesn’t feel like she fits in – never has. She lives alone in a house in North Dublin that her great aunt left to her. She has no friends, no jobs and few social skills.”
So is she an interesting character? Is there enough going on for us to stick with Vivian for two hundred and fifty-three pages?
Absolutely.Yes.
Caitriona Lally’s debut novel is a delight. Vivian is different, her circumstancescrypticallythreaded into the subtext. Nothing is explained, nor should it be,on this whimsic...
July 16, 2015
Doing it with Passion! Writers in Ireland: Shane McCabe
Shane McCabe was born in Dublin and graduated with an honours degree in economics from Trinity College. He is also a graduate of the Gaiety School of Acting, and has been involved in the industry for a number of years. His short film LUCKY ESCAPE screened at numerous Academy Award accredited festivals worldwide and sold to NBC Universal, (Italy), HBO, (Central and Eastern Europe), top comedy website Atom.com, UK Broadcaster Channel 4, NBC Pan Asia, Shorts TV in the United States, and all of L...
July 14, 2015
Lady Beth and I…
I’ve been working on and off on this novel project for some years now, and it’s time to finish it. Based on a screenplay, the story has excited, infuriated and intrigued me in equal measures, not least because the script has been so close to production in the past– but alas, the Lady waits. So, I owe it to all the people who have loved it, praised it, critiqued it, questioned it and wished me well with it. The novel will be done. And blessed be.
And here is the original piece of writing that...
July 13, 2015
Doing it with Passion! Writers in Ireland Series: Nicola Lindsay
Nicola Lindsay is an authorand screenwriter. Shealso works as a voice-over artist and actor, and finds that writing and acting are mutually beneficial.Allof her novels, including Diving Through Clouds, A Place for Unicorns (Belonging) and Tumbling Jude, are now available on Amazon Kindle Books and some are also in paperback.Nicola has also recorded scripts for RTE’s Sunday Miscellany.
When did you first begin to write, Nicola?
I first began to enjoy writing when I was at school. Essays for t...
July 9, 2015
Doing it with Passion! Writers in Ireland Series – John MacKenna
John MacKenna is the author of 16 books, short-story collections, memoir, biography and poetry. An accomplished playwright, Breathless, Redemption Song, Lucinda Sly, his novels include, The Space Between Us, The Last Fine Summer, Clare, and his latest work, Joseph. He is a winner of the Hennessy, Irish Times and Cecil Day Lewis awards and wasnominated for the Irish Fiction Laureate award.
When did you first begin to write, John,and how long before you were first published?
I began writing i...
July 4, 2015
Horrendously delicious: Psych-horror with some of the best female leads
So here are ten of my favourites:
Carrie [1976]
A gamut of emotional charges, you won’t forget Carrie. Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie – need I say more?
T he Others [2001]
I consider this film to be close to perfection. Nicole Kidman – Fionnula Flanagan – and something supernatural.
Rosemary’s Baby [1968]
Mia Farrow at her most mesmerizing. Babies and devils – what’s not to like?
Pan’s Labyrinth [2006]
Spellbinding and monstrously beautiful. Ivana Baquero’s‘Ophelia’comes of age in a dark pa...
July 2, 2015
Doing it with Passion! Writers in Ireland Series: Niamh Boyce
Niamh’s novel The Herbalist was nominated for an IMPAC, and won ‘Newcomer of the Year’ at the Irish Book Awards. Her unpublished poetry collection was highly commended by the Patrick Kavanagh Award and she won TheHennessy ‘New Irish Writer of the Year’ in 2012.
Obligatory opening question, Niamh – when did you first begin to write?
I always wrote diaries full of fragments, poems and drawings, but that was a very private way of writing – I didn’t start writing to be read, or consider that poss...
June 28, 2015
Doing it with passion! Writers in Ireland Series: Martin Duffy
Martin Duffy describes himself asa storyteller.Heis afilm director, a writer and an editor. Martin’s work includes the feature films,The Boy from Mercury and Summer of the FlyingSaucer. Hehas written several non-fiction books, novels for young people, and also writes songs.
Great to connect with you, Martin, and as always, I’ll start by asking you when you first began to write?
I first started applying myself seriously as a writer in my early twenties – around 1974/5 – when I was a young marr...
June 13, 2015
Doing it with Passion! Writers in Ireland Series: Roisin Meaney
Roisin Meaney worked as a teacher in Ireland and an advertising copywriter in London before becoming a fulltime writer of books. To date she is the author of eleven bestselling adult novels and two children’s books, and her works have been translated into many languages. On the first Saturday of every month she tells stories to small children in her home city of Limerick’s main library, passing on her love of books and reading to the next generation.
Roisin, from teaching to copywriting to el...
