August 2008 - Irish American News

August 2008 IRISH AMERICAN NEWS 9Time is Running Backward!Irish Books andPlays in ReviewImagination.How central thisis to Irish literature!Imaginationof a different realityis a theme thatoccurs repeatedlyin Irish literature.If we believe insomething, doesit become real?If we believe ina reality differentfrom our own, does it become real? What ishuman imagination? Where does it come from?Is it part of being a human being? How canimagination be developed and enriched? Thebook’s press release says: “… a powerful icepeople are trying again to run time backwards,erasing the very existence of mankind.”Eoin McNamee wrote this book of fantasyfor children (ages 9+14) and hopes it will “… bepart of the enfolding of a child’s imagination.”It is the second novel in the trilogy abouttime. I reviewed his first book in this series,The Navigator, in the spring of 2007.McNamee has written award-winning novelsfor adults, and now writes science fictionfor children. He lives in Sligo with his wife andtwo children. Time for us flows from the pastto the present, to the future. But what if it weremade to flow backwards? Eventually would benothingness, just emptiness.In this fantasy thriller, powerful enemiesof our humanity and jealous of human society,plot to reverse time “so that all that is left isemptiness, nothingness.”These fantastical evil-doers scheme to havethe earth run out of time. For us time is eternaland unchangeable. But what if it is finite, likeStalking Irish MadnessBy Patrick TraceyIn this powerful, sometimes harrowing,deeply felt story, Patrick Tracey journeysto Ireland to track the origin and solve themystery of his Irish-American family’s multigenerationalstruggle with schizophrenia.As long as Tracey could remember, schizophreniaran on his mother’s side, seldomspoken of outright but impossible to ignore.Devastated by the emotional toll the diseasehad already taken on his family, terrified ofpassing it on to any children he might have,and inspired by the recent discovery of the firstgenetic link to schizophrenia, Tracey followedhis genealogical trail from Boston to Ireland’scounty Roscommon, home of his oldestknownschizophrenic ancestor. In a renovatedcamper, Tracey crossed the Emerald Isle to investigatethe country that, until the 1960s, hadthe world’s highest rate of institutionalizationFrank Westthe sun’s energy?The characters in the book become aware ofthis attempt to change time. “the fabric of spaceand time is loosening… as it does so, gravityis… getting stronger. The earth is starting topull the moon closer.”“Gravity keeps the moon in orbit aroundthe earth…”“Soon gravity will bring the moon to withina few hundred miles of earth, and then…”“When the moon is so close it will cause havoc—massivetides, tsunamis, …earthquakes.”Owen, the Irish boy who is the hero of thesenovels, realizes that the cause is the reversal oftime. He realizes that this “was another attempt toplunge his world into darkness and emptiness.”“…This is a fantastical world, complete withbrand new page-turning action, ingenious inventionsand extraordinary characters…” saysthe press release.Although written for children, I found Cityof Time strongly held my attention. The writingis suspenseful, colorful and uses words ofa high order.As a former teacher, I recommend City of Timeas a wonderful way to encourage children to learnnew vocabulary and to use vivid phrases.Teenagers and adults will enjoy this mindexpandingbook.City of Time by Eoin McNamee. RandomHouse–Wendy Lamb Books, New York, 2008. 336pages; $19.99. www.randomhouse.com/kids.News of Irish Plays?We have a rich tradition of Irish theater: agolden sense of imagination and uncompromisingtruthfulness. I love to see those plays andto write about them.Please send news of upcoming productionsof plays written by Irish or Irish Americanplaywrights to me at IAN’s mail address oremail me at: fwest@iannews.com.for mental illness,following cluesand separatingfact from fictionin the legendaryrelationship theIrish have hadwith madness.Filled withhistory, science,and lore, StalkingIrish Madness isan unforgettablechronicle of one man’s attempt to make senseof his family’s past and to find hope for thefuture of schizophrenic patients.Stalking Irish Madness: Searching for theRoots of My Family’s Schizophrenia by PatrickTracey. Bantam Dell Publishing Group, NewYork, 2008. Hardcover; 288 pages; $24.00.www.randomhouse.com.Something forEvery Irish AmericanFindingYour ChicagoIrish is a wonderfulbook!I’ve put offwriting this reviewbecause Iwant to do thisexciting bookjustice, andtell ChicagoIrish Americanshow helpfuland informativeit is.The book’s 192 pages are packed withinformation about all kinds of events thatIrish American would enjoy. The authorput in an enormous amount of time andeffort to compile the data. Much of itwas gathered first hand when she went tothese events and interviewed the peopleinvolved.There is information here about IrishAmerican sports events, restaurants, music,radio,, film, even shopping! To put itsimply, there is something in this book foreveryone.Included in Finding Your Chicago Irishare addresses, phone numbers and oftenwebsites for all these places and events.The author, Sharon Shea Bossard, andher husband, live in the Chicago area. Shesa member of several organizations, includingthe Illinois Women’s Press Associationad the Writers’ Workshop of Barrington. Tolearn more about her, got to her website:www.findingmyirish.com.Her first book, Finding Your Irish, receivedexcellent reviews (including one inthis column). And it “…has been featuredon numerous radio and television talkshows in Ireland and the united States.”I especially enjoyed the section abouttheater, I have seen, and liked, severalproductions by the Seanachai TheatreCompany, the Shapeshifters Theatre Companyad the Gaelic Park Players.Each of these ensembles provide “compellingproductions and programs thatfocus the energy of artists on the commongoal of exceptional storytelling.”I was personally interested in Bossard’sdiscussion of the Irish American News.This outstanding newspaper serves theIrish American community. Pardon me forfavoring it, but we keep you “…up-to-dateon all things Irish in Chicago and throughoutthe world.” The author sums up withthis comment about the newspaper: “thisentertaining, informative newspaper willbecome a household fixture.”The book is well written; uses a livelywriting style; is carefully researched; anda joy to peruse. And fun to use.Finding Your Chicago Irish by SharonShea Bossard. Lake Claremont Press,Chicago, 2008. 192 pages; $16.95. www.lakeclaremont.com.