sadbh@irish-times.ie
Sadbh has been following with interest the recent correspondence on The Irish Times's letters pages from Eddie Naughton (May 5th) and Garry Clarke (May 8th) about what Naughton described as "the dumbing down" of Dublin bookshops. When he headed off to try to buy Scott Donaldson's recently-published Hemmingway versus Fitzgerald: The Rise and Fall of a Literary Friendship, visiting three Dublin bookshops in the process - Waterstone's on Dawson Street, the Dublin Bookshop on Grafton Street, and Hughes & Hughes in the Stephen's Green Shopping Centre - none of the three had the book in stock. In his letter, Clarke declared he now orders most of his books over the Internet, so fed up is he "about the poor selection of books in Dublin bookshops".
When Sadbh phoned the three bookshops this week to see if the Donaldson title had yet arrived on the shelves, this is what happened. At Waterstone's, systems manager Andrew Walters said they hadn't seen the letter in the paper, but that their six copies of the book had sold out in late April. A few more are on their way next week. When Sadbh asked if six wasn't a rather low number to order, she was told that that's all they'd ever order "of that type of book".
At the Dublin Bookshop and at Hughes & Hughes, both shops said they had seen the letter. There are now three copies on order at the Dublin Bookshop, and none at Hughes & Hughes. Mark Gould, managing director of the latter, said that while they do read book reviews published in the national press, "if it isn't an obvious bestseller" they won't generally stock the title. "We stock what the majority of customers are looking for."
He points out that they, like the others, will order specific titles for customers who ask - but if you've recently read a review, and are thereafter burning to read the book, you presumably won't be keen to wait the several days more this will take. Both spokespersons for the Dublin Bookshop were out of town, and so nobody was available for comment when we contacted them. Sadbh is left wondering where that leaves the dumbingdown debate. No surprise then that some bookworms prefer to purchase online. Although you mightn't always get the book you want immediately, Sadbh would miss trawling the bookshops, handling books, leafing through things at random, never knowing what she might find.
A WHO'S who of Irish literati is heading Stateside this weather for "Island - Arts from Ireland", a major festival which opens tonight and runs for two weeks at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington. Marina Carr's new play, On Raftery's Hill, will be getting its American premiere there, as will Red Kettle's Catalpa. On Monday night, novelists John McGahern, Jennifer Johnston, Frank McCourt, and William Kennedy will be reading. The following night, poets Eavan Boland, Paul Durcan, Michael Longley, and Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill will read. Theo Dorgan of Poetry Ireland is in the chair both nights.
IT'S not every day that literary doyen Ben Kiely endorses a book, but The Trophy and New Writings, by John McNamee, a collection of stories, prose and poems which has arrived on Sadbh's desk, has a warm introduction from the master. McNamee, who has lived rough at times over the years, describes here, among other things, "the uncharted region without maps or compasses" that is largely the world of homelessness today. He has experience of the wide world, having, as Kiely says: "walked a lot of it himself, by his own choice, in various cities of the world, beginning with his own northside Dublin". An enlivening volume, Kiely concludes.
ON Tuesday, Lilliput Press is linking up with the RTE Radio Centre to launch Rory O'Connor's Gander at the Gate; a memoir of O'Connor's Kerry childhood in the 1930s. "Better than Alice Taylor," Lilliput declared to Sadbh, "much more literary." O'Connor was head of RTE television for 15 years, hence the choice of venue for the launch. Sadbh notes that the invitation has the words "Full Bar" printed clearly on it, supposedly as an extra draw to pull people out to Montrose, making Sadbh wonder if Lilliput is upping the ante on the booklaunch front. Will the old glass of red or white wine now be replaced by G & Ts or Bloody Marys on the literary circuit? Personally, Sadbh would prefer champagne.
ON the same evening, Evelyn Conlon's book, Telling: New and Selected Stories, published by Blackstaff, will be launched at 5.30 p.m. in Waterstone's of Dawson Street in Dublin. There are nine new stories in the collection, as well as 10 previously published ones. Gallery has also just reissued poet Moya Cannon's Oar, originally published by Salmon, and now out of print. Cannon has reworked some of the poems for this edition. Also taken up from a different publisher and reprinted by Gallery is the late Sean Dunne's memoir, In My Father's House.
THE Bank of Ireland Arts Centre at Dublin's Foster Place has another summer session of its popular "Out to Lunch" poetry readings on the go. Katie Donovan reads on May 19th; Louise Callaghan and Maighread Medbh on June 2nd; Dennis O'Driscoll on June 30th; Mary O'Donnell on July 14th; Eibhlin Nic Eochaidh and Aine Miller on July 28th; and Vona Groarke and Conor O'Callaghan on August 25th. Admission is free, and all readings take place between 1.15 p.m. and 2 p.m.
SADBH notes that the closing date for receipt of entries for Arts Council literature bursaries is this Friday, May 19th. Completed application forms and a maximum of 20 pages of a work in progress should be sent to 70 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, by no later than noon on Friday.
Sadbh