Today is World Poetry Day. The late writer, AA Gill, once wrote of poetry: By some internal magic, poetry hovers above the page, over the words. It happens outside the black-and-white lines, as… Continue reading →

Perhaps it is because I come from an Irish tradition of the seanachai, the story-teller, that I hold the art of storytelling in such high esteem. In times past, neighbours gathered around the fire… Continue reading →

Everything Is Waiting for You Your great mistake is to act the dramaas if you were alone. As if lifewere a progressive and cunning crimewith no witness to the tiny hiddentransgressions. To feel… Continue reading →

In honor of St Patrick’s Day today, I offer all my friends a blessing from the book Anam Cara – Spiritual Wisdom from a Celtic World by the wonderful Irish poet John O’Donohue. Beannacht, which is  the title of… Continue reading →

“Ten times a day something happens to me like this–some strengthening throb of amazement–some good sweet empathetic ping and swell. This is the first, the wildest and the wisest thing I know: that… Continue reading →

This weekend is Mother’s Day in Ireland and the UK. For the past few years I’ve written about Mother’s Day without my mother, but this year I hesitated to write about it. I don’t want to be… Continue reading →