Written by Brenda Nicholas

Authors on the Web.com is currently featuring a posse of Irish writers asked to “discuss what role their heritage has played in their writing, and their feelings on the humor, melancholy, and mysticism of the Gaelic soul.” It should come as no surprise that Joyce, Yeats, Beckett, Heaney, and Wilde rank high among the passages. Other common denominators point to the Irish love of language and story telling, the dreary weather, and the potato famine.

Author Máire B. de Paor says “Learn the Irish language properly for a start; then steep yourself in our literature and see for yourselves! This requires hard, rewarding work unadorned by sentimental 'greenery'!” (Huh hum, remind you of any recent news items, Munchie?)

One of my personal favorite passages gives a shout-out for women artists. Mary E. Lyons says “A better question might be, why aren't any women writers mentioned in the list? I don't want to address a question that excludes women, so I'll mention contemporary works. I adore Nuala O'Faolin's books and John Banville is quite possibly the best living fiction writer in the English-speaking world. For the past month, I've been wallowing in books by Irish-American writers. Irish America: Coming Into Clover and Crossing Highbridge, a memoir by Maureen Waters, are two recent favorites.”

There’s quite an extensive list of Irish authors featured at this roundtable discussion. There’s even Liam Clancy, who is also a musician (man, he looks Irish). I urge you to check out this website, and while you're at it, find some good Irish books to review for Dust Jacket Review. Please. ☺