My third collection of poetry is officially launched

Conditional Perfect is published by Doire Press

This blog has been in extended hibernation, but all that is about to change. The gloriously busy daily life of the past two years, during my enjoyable tenure as Programme Director of Cúirt International Festival of Literature, made the prospect of regular posts a little too challenging. As we usher in the Winter, this first day of October, with all the grace we can muster, it seems like a good time to take stock of all that's been happening of late, especially during the milestone month of September. So, I'm returning here with renewed vigour as there are multiple reasons for excitement and a few good excuses for celebration too!

On the poetry front, I was delighted when my poem – a monologue in the voice of 1792 harper, Denis Hempson – was shortlisted for the ‘Pastimes – Past Times’ Summer poetry competition organised by Strokestown International Poetry Festival as part of National Heritage Week. On Saturday, 17th August, we gathered in Strokestown Library to read our shortlisted poems in front of a warm, receptive audience (there were over 200 entries to the competition, which was judged by poet, James Harpur, with 14 of us shortlisted). Congratulations to Annette Skade, Rory Duffy and Siún Carden who won first, second and third prize respectively. You can read all of the shortlisted poems, including the three beautiful prize-winners, here.

The month of August also saw me refining and polishing the manuscript for my third poetry collection, Conditional Perfect, and eventually letting it go and submitting to my publishers at Doire Press. It's always a fraught time for any writer, but John and Lisa have been wonderful throughout and have made the process an easy and seamless one. I’m still in the afterglow of the book’s official launch, just three days ago in Galway City Museum with more on that and some pics to follow below shortly.

Elated, just after receiving the first copy of Conditional Perfect

As many of us parents and educators know, September heralds the beginning of the real year! We had all the usual flurry of excitement as my toddler began his ECCE year at his crèche and my older boy started in third class. (He also turned 9 in September - which I still can't believe - and our modest back lawn is now colonised by a trampoline!). No sooner were both my boys getting settled back to school when I also found myself returning to the educational sphere, to NUI Galway campus to teach undergraduate seminars in Creative Writing (to second-year English students) and ‘Landscape, Literature and Culture’ to visiting students from the U.S. I’m now into my third week and what a privilege it is to be back among bright young people who're eager to learn and full of curiosity, with so much of life ahead of them. One of the contemporary sonnets we looked at last week, which piqued the students' interest, was Marilyn Nelson's powerful 'How I Discovered Poetry'. The exchange students and I are exploring the Idea of the West, landscape-as-text and contrasting W.B. Yeats's symbolic use of the land with Patrick Kavanagh's earthy representations. We continue to be fascinated by polymath, Tim Robinson's mapping of Connemara and his unique methodologies. 

I was honoured to be invited to officially launch Issue 12 of Skylight 47 at the House Hotel on Sunday, 8th September.

If you haven't already picked up a copy, it is well worth checking out for its wealth of diverse voices and its special 8-page supplement showcasing the work of emerging writers from throughout Galway city and county.

With my book, Conditional Perfect, still hot off the press it was a great pleasure to some of my new poems for the very first time with a lovely audience at the 42nd Clifden Arts Festival on Wednesday, 18th September. Reading along side poet, Richard Halperin, the wonderful Tony Curtis was our master of ceremonies and treated us to musical interludes during the event. Poets, Gerry Hanberry and Moyra Donaldson also read that afternoon and it was a memorable occasion. My sincere thanks again to Brendan Flynn, Des Lally and all at Clifden Arts Festival for inviting me to read and congrats on another stellar line-up this year. 

Reading at Clifden Library as part of Clifden Arts Festival

Poet and musician, Tony Curtis at Clifden Arts Festival

Just a few days later, on Saturday, 21^st, I had the pleasure of reading in The Bookworm bookshop in Thurles as part of the Féile Flipside programme of cultural events. With true Tipperary hospitality, owner John Butler gave me a warm welcome, not to mention some delicious coffee. In the days leading up to the launch of Conditional Perfect, Charlie McBride of The Galway Advertiser met me for a coffee and a chat about the book which you can read in this week's edition of the newspaper online here. 

Then, finally, last Saturday, with the book's poems proving to be popular with audiences and readers alike (two were also featured on the Poethead website and shared widely on Twitter and Facebook  – thank you Christine Murray), it was high time to officially launch Conditional Perfect! And so we gathered at Galway City Museum at noon last Saturday, 28^th September to give the book its send-off into the world, with Galway poet and musician, Gerry Hanberry, kindly doing the honours. A huge thank you to Gerry for eloquently launching Conditional Perfect, to my gifted friend, Pat Jourdan for her beautiful art which graces the book's cover, to Brendan McGowan, Damien Donnellan and the staff of Galway City Museum, to John Walsh and Lisa Frank and to everyone who took the time to come out and support me on the day. Any slight nerves I had beforehand were quickly banished by the abundant good vibes and collective joyful wishes in the room. Conditional Perfect is now launched and will hopefully travel far and wide and bring pleasure to many many readers. Here are some endorsements for the collection:

 ‘Discursive, widely-travelled, at once cerebral and lyrical, Emily Cullen’s Conditional Perfect is an ambitious and beautiful work. Here are the streets of Grattan, Elgin and Canning in Melbourne, motherhood and its mysteries, the indictment of victims by defending barristers, the ancient harpists of Belfast; all creating one great embracing, forceful charge in poem after poem. Witty and sardonic too, her poems of mirrors and reflections bring us back to an instantly recognisable human ordinariness. This collection, a Cullen masterpiece, will certainly beguile the reader with its astonishing range and poise.’

— Thomas McCarthy, author of Prophecy (Carcanet)

‘Emily Cullen’s third collection takes the reader on journeys from Ireland to Australia and back, and to the 1792 Harpers’ Assembly in Belfast. Her poems are “freighted” in social realities, but always seek out the “poise” that comes with experience and empathy, the harmony—both literal and figurative—of an open mind and ear that are attuned to “the music of what happens”.’

— Lorna Shaughnessy, author of Anchored (Salmon Poetry)

‘Emily Cullen can wave a child off to school while encompassing the world’s fears, find the seamless continuum between politics and motherhood and surprise us with the music of her lines all at the same time. In these pages too you will meet the Belfast Harpers, among them blind Rose Mooney, from whom you’ll learn it’s the music that lasts beyond what anyone can see.’

— Kevin Brophy, author of Look at the Lake (Puncher & Wattmann)

You can order a copy from the Doire Press website here. And now, a few of those launch pics!

Gerry Hanberry launching Conditional Perfect

Gerry Hanberry launching Conditional Perfect

Reading poems from my new book

My boys, Lee & Lorcan were on their best behaviour and did me proud

With my publishers, Lisa Frank & John Walsh of Doire Press

With a great friend, Mairéad Roche

Launch of Conditional Perfect at Galway Museum on Saturday, 28 September

                              

James Martyn Joyce & Aideen Henry among the crowd at the launch

Pat Carton and Pat McMahon at the launch

Last few days to register for 'Appreciation of Poetry' course

There are just a few days left to book for 'Appreciation of Poetry' - the evening course I will be teaching for the Centre for Adult Learning at NUI Galway again, starting in early October. The NUI Galway short courses booklet is linked here with course information on page 4 and a registration form at the back. Please spread the word! 

Erato, Muse of Lyric Poetry by Charles Meynier (1800)

Here are what previous course participants said:

"Friendly, informative approach, great poems chosen to illustrate course, the fact that the tutor is a poet and the handbook. Would definitely instill a love of/appreciation of poetry." 

"I thoroughly enjoyed the variety of themes presented and illustrated. We were challenged to enter into the spirit of the course. I was encouraged to write again after a pause of several years."

"Our tutor was very encouraging as well as great fun! Access to poems from a variety of different poets – many of whom I had never heard of!"

"Enjoyed course very much. Teaching very engaging, passionate and encouraging. Relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Great to get emails from teacher, notes, slides, etc. and the half-time break!"

"This course was most interesting and a lot of fun. Each session was very well researched and presented."

"The breadth of vision of the course and the teaching style of our lecturer. The classes were enlightening and fun."

Interview about Cúirt in this weeks Galway Advertiser

Earlier this week, Kernan Andrews, Arts Editor & Political Correspondent of The Galway Advertiser, kindly invited me to an interview for the newspaper about my plans and vision as Programme Director of the Cúirt International Festival of Literature. Kernan and I had an enjoyable, wide-ranging conversation that lasted for over and hour and half, and the resulting piece has just been published on page 36 of this week's Galway Advertiser. 

Thanks so much to Kernan for those great questions and for his editorial skill in compressing all we discussed into this article, which I hope you enjoy!

Photo: Boyd Challenger

On the 50th anniversary of Patrick Kavanagh's Death

Patrick Kavanagh died on this day fifty years ago - 30th November 1967 - and I cannot let the day pass without paying my respects to him and pausing to reflect on one of my all-time favourite poets. For now, I'm just going to post one of his poems below, 'Innocence' and I am hopeful of finding a quiet moment to write more in the coming days about Kavanagh and his poetry and, specifically, about my memories of curating the programme of events for his centenary year, thirteen years ago, in 2004.

Patrick Kavanagh saving the hay in 1934 with his sister, Josie and brother Peter

As I move through a different phase of life, with two small boys of my own and the wisdom of experience, Kavanagh's words remain radiant as ever. The poet's confidence in stating that 'love's doorway to life / is the same doorway everywhere' still resonates, as does his celebration of the everyday, the simple things and 'the placeless Heaven that's under all our noses'. Kavanagh urges us to pay attention; he said that "to get to know even a small field is a lifetime's exploration". The subject of 'Innocence' is the little field his mother purchased for him in 1926, which is still visible under Rocksavage Fort in Inniskeen. The reluctant farmer preferred to use the hedges as shelving for his books! 

Nobody is laughing at Patrick's 'hungry hills' now. To those of you who have yet to visit Kavanagh Country, I would urge you to do so as soon as you can and, especially, to call into his former parish church, which is now the Patrick Kavanagh Rural and Literary Resource Centre. And if you are fortunate enough to encounter the very wonderful Rosaleen Kearney - Kavanagh expert and all-round exceptional human being - please give her my very best.


Innocence

They laughed at one I loved—
The triangular hill that hung
Under the Big Forth. They said
That I was bounded by the whitethorn hedges
Of the little farm and did not know the world.
But I knew that love's doorway to life
Is the same doorway everywhere.

Ashamed of what I loved
I flung her from me and called her a ditch
Although she was smiling at me with violets.

But now I am back in her briary arms
The dew of an Indian Summer morning lies
On bleached potato-stalks—
What age am I?

I do not know what age I am,
I am no mortal age;
I know nothing of women,
Nothing of cities,
I cannot die
Unless I walk outside these whitethorn hedges.

Patrick Kavanagh

Getting set to teach Appreciation of Poetry at NUI Galway again

Only a few days left - until this Friday - to book a place on the 'Appreciation of Poetry' course I'll be teaching for Adult Education at NUI, Galway, which starts next Tuesday, 3 October at 7pm. Contact Berna Morgan on 091-494055 to book your spot. Full details on page 6 of the NUI Galway Short Courses booklet here. 

Poems by a variety of Irish and international writers, including Louis MacNiece, William Carlos Williams, Pablo Neruda, Frank O’Hara, Elizabeth Bishop, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Paula Meehan and many others will be explored in a lively, informal atmosphere. Some of the themes addressed include: how poetry is made; the sonnet; the villanelle and forms of rhyme; poetry in free verse; language and vision in ekphrasis; image, nature and description in the haiku; poetry of common things and the antipoetic and spoken word. Let's put the adventure back in reading poetry; lets find the music and fun in prosody! Here's the inimitable Kim Addonizo doing just that:

Prosody Pathetique

Trochees tear your heart to tatters.
Lovers leave you broken, battered.
Fuck you, fuck off: spondees. So what.
Get high. Drop dead. Who cares. Life sucks.
Dactyls are you getting boozed in your underwear,
thinking of someone who used to be there.
These are iambs: Dolor. Despair.
And going on and on about your pain,
and sleeping pills, and dark and heavy rain.
Now for the anapests: in the end, you’re alone.
In the bag, in the dark; in a terrible rut.
With a smirk, in a wink, the wolves tear you apart.

Kim Addonizio

Exciting News: New Director of the Cúirt International Festival of Literature

We are on the cusp of June and I'm surprised to discover that I haven’t blogged in a full six months! Don’t consign me to the netherworld of dormant Blogspot sites just yet though – I have some valid excuses! It’s been a roller coaster of vicissitudes since the turn of the year, replete with health scares, the tragic loss of an old friend, and our two boys catching horrible flu viruses (we are all fine again, thankfully) but also with bright new career and extra-curricular opportunities. In March I was invited to be the Guest Editor of the next couple of issues of The Weary Blues - a neat online journal of literature and art founded by writer and digital humanities scholar, James O'Sullivan of New Binary Press. I’m thoroughly enjoying the range of themes and vibrant voices in all the work I’ve received to date. While our window for submissions for Issue 8 just closed last Friday (26 May), don’t worry if you missed this submission period as it will reopen for issue 9 anon. Keep an eye out here and on The Weary Blues website for further details soon.

Another development I'm excited to report relates to my professional life. After lovingly attending the Cúirt International Festival of Literature as an audience member for many years, (since I first came to Galway to study for my BA back in the early 1990s….oops am I giving away my age now?), the planets have aligned, and last month I was appointed Programme Director of the very same festival. Cúirt has brought many joyful memories over the years, of hearing great authors read their work and interact with other writers, and then of getting to meet them in person as they signed books (see pic below), or spying literary luminaries such as J.M. Coetzee sauntering down Eglinton street in the afternoon during the festival week.

I had the pleasure of meeting Tobias Wolff at the 2016 Cúirt International Festival of Literature It is an honour to be appointed to this post and I’m already imagining new generative possibilities for the festival, engaging themes, potential collaborations and interesting pairings of writers and interviewers, etc. (The Connaught Tribune published a short piece about my experience as an arts curator and recent appointment to Cúirt last month here.) So maybe now I can somewhat justify the citadel of books that is our home with evidence of my sprees in Charlie Byrnes Bookshop, Kennys and the Book Depository overflowing in every nook and cranny of our house! My husband – also a bibliophile, but not as much of a book hoarder as me – is uncommonly forgiving and, thankfully, a great assembler of bookcases! Watch this space for gradual announcements of highlights for Cúirt 2018 (23-29 April) which I may be able to sneakily share with you on the QT over the coming months….!