Music is served … - Irish American News

January 2006 IRISH AMERICAN NEWS 43S HARING A PINTBy Scott PowersThere was a time during Niall Hartnett’s boyhoodthat he was only known as “the poet’s son.”Most people, including his classmates, neverlooked beyond his name and relation to MichaelHartnett, the famous Irish poet. No matter howhard he tried or what he did, Niall could notescape the title. Along with the normal teenageindignation, Niall also dealt with knowing that,while others considered his father to be a brilliantpoet, he knew him as someone with a drinkingproblem and an imperfect family life. BeforeMichael passed away in 1999 from liver troublesdue to his drinking, Niall learned to love his fatherfor who he was. He took the good with the badand even accepted he was the poet’s son.Now 34, Niall is in the midst of balancingbeing that son, which includes helping keephis father’s memory alive, and creating his ownidentity as a photographer. Niall recently sat downat Poor Phil’s in Oak Park to talk of his father andhimself while Sharing a Pint.The name Michael Hartnett doesn’t holdas much weight with Americans as it does theIrish. Michael began to emerge on Ireland’spoetry scene in the late 1960s with “Anatomyof a Cliché,” a book of love poetry. He latercemented himself in Irish history when, in1975, he made the controversial decision to nolonger publish in English. His Gaelic-writtenbook, “Farewell to English,” earned him theIrish-American Cultural Institute Award and theIrish Arts Council Award for best book in Irish.His writing career continued to flourish over thenext few decades.During that time, however, it became moredifficult for him to resist the bottle. He oftenhitchhiked five miles from his family’s home inthe parish of Templeglantine to go to NewcastleWest, his hometown in Co. Limerick, to sit anddrink with friends. Michael often arrived to functionsdrunk. Niall would be approached by fanstelling him that he must be so proud of his father.He said he was, while hiding his embarrassment.Michael’s drinking eventually led to the end ofhis marriage with Rosemary Hartnett and himleaving Niall and his daughter Lara. Niall doesn’tsugarcoat his father’s past. Michael often kept tohimself and wasn’t good at expressing his feelingsoutside of his writing.Niall does remember plenty of good timeswith his fatheras well. Michaelcould bethe life of theparty and nevertook crap fromanyone. Healso could be acaring personwho wantedthe best forhis son. Hehad hoped NiallScott Powers and Niall Hartnettwould become a scientist and encouraged himto go to college. “My father played more ofan intellectual role in my life,” Niall said. “Hewanted to teach me about the world. He nevertalked about writing.”Niall dabbled in poetry as a teenager but chosenot to follow in his father’s footsteps. He laterattended Trinity College in Dublin and went onto Indiana University for a master’s degree inpsychology. He recently moved to the Chicagoarea and became an academic advisor in the Universityof Illinois-Chicago’s psychology department.About four years ago, Niall began tappinginto his creative energy through photography. Itwas during this time he had also become moreactive in the rememberance of his father’s worksby creating a Web site.With the help of his fiancée, Rachel, Niall latercame up with an idea to merge a book of writersremembering his father with photos of his own.The photos would be portraits taken by Niallof the contributing writers. He found a willingpublisher along with 40 writers, including PaulDurkin and Seamus Heaney, to submit variouscontributions of anecdotes, poems and moreabout his father.For his part, Niall has traveled across theUnited States and Ireland taking photos of thewriters. Most of the writers were uncomfortablein front of a camera and provided him with a shortwindow in which to take the photos. The IrishAmerican Heritage Center had a photo exhibitof a sampling of his collection in December. Allthe photos are black and white and were eithertaken somewhere that the writer was comfortableor somewhere they associated with Michael. Nialllooked to catch the personality of the writer withGIFT SHOPBelleek • foodIrish Papers“Saving the Green”5138 W. 95th St.Oak Lawn 60453708-424-7055“Your complete Irish import storein the south suburbs.”each photo and used an old-fashioned camera anda new-aged digital one to demonstrate the generationspectrum of the writers. Niall hopes the bookwill be out by the summer and isn’t sure whetherit will be released outside of Ireland.Niall has considered moving back to Irelandand getting more involved in the literature scene,but he doesn’t want his father’s work to be hiswhole life. He does believe his father would besupportive of the book and his photography career.“If he knew I was doing this for him, he wouldbe fine with it,” Niall said. “I wouldn’t be doingit unless he would. This has not only been greatbecause I get to meet all these writers, must ofwhom who only knew me as a child, and celebratemy dad, but it’s also good to get a book out there.Hopefully it’ll help push others along.”Niall would like to do future documentaryphotography books, but he wants to step awayfrom the Irish and writing cultures. Being inChicago now, he’s already thought of a handfulof ideas. The city has also given him somethinghe’s been missing for a while. “For a long time,I haven’t had much exposure to the Irish community,”said Niall, who most recently lived inMonticello, Ind. “I’ve been missing it becauseI’ve been missing Ireland. Chicago definitelyintrigued me. I thought I could put together thecommunity with my work. The Chicago Irishcommunity has embraced me.”* For more about Niall Hartnett, samples ofhis work and information about his father andthe yearly Eigse Michael Hartnett Photo Festival,check out www.niallhartnett.com.Have a recommendation for “Sharing a Pint”or want to write Scott Powers? 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