Long Shadows

It is shortly after the autumnal equinox that I begin to notice the longer shadows and earlier nightfall.  It is always the shadows that catch my attention most; a reminder that the warm and hope full days of summer are gone.  When other would a 72 degree day be described as “very warm?”  When other does 65 degrees seem so cold?

This fall was slow in coming, but now firmly established after a searing summer.  The leaf colors were spectacular if short lived.  All that remains after several windy, rainy days is to rake them into piles while awaiting our designated leaf pick-up dates.  Oh how I miss the smell of burning leaves, carefully tended—the scent of more youthful days.

Autumn is a time for chores that cannot wait. I have washed the windows so that, whatever sunshine winter allows, can shine into the house, warming it and cheering the cabin fevered inhabitants.  The outdoor chairs and table have been stored in the shed; the strawberries mulched. We’ve had the furnace cleaned and checked. Our warmer clothing has been taken from their storage boxes, replaced by shorts and sleeveless tops. The snow blower is ready for its re-awakening. A cold snowy Midwestern winter is predicted. Very soon I must cut down the last of the herbs, hoping that the hardier plants will winter over. 

Autumn is time to activate your to-be-read reading list.  Every fall the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago sponsors IBAM, a celebration of Irish books, art and music.  This year the festival was held early but it is a “must attend” and attend we did.  The event seemed condensed partly because the usual gala dinner was held on one of the event days instead of the evening before, partly because there seemed to be fewer authors and musicians, partly because the emphasis was on Derry and Northern Ireland, and partly because the organizational spirit appeared constrained.

Nevertheless there were wonderful writers, lively musicians, dedicated artists and books to buy. Tightly scheduled presentations made choosing between the Saturday or Sunday programs difficult.  We attended on Saturday, arriving in time for me to climb the stairs to the fourth floor for an author talk.  Colum McCann, Dublin born writer, is now living in NYC.  He had written several books including the award winning Let The Great World Spin.  It was not his past works that dominated the day’s conversation, it was rather his forthcoming work, Transatlantic, scheduled for publication in June 2013, that informed an hour-long insight into the mind of this fine writer.   In this forthcoming book McCann relates three Atlantic crossings, carefully interweaving the Irish visit of Frederick Douglas in the 1850s, the first airplane crossing of Brown and Alcott [not Lindbergh] when the pair flew from Newfoundland to the west coast of Ireland just after World War I, and the endeavor of U. S. Statesman and former Senator George Mitchell, trying to facilitate a lasting truce between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland during the Clinton administration.  Each story is compelling, but the writer’s artistry and imagination weaves a tapestry I cannot wait to read in June.

IBAM features a variety of panel discussions. The influence of James Joyce on Modern Literature was shared by Joyce experts, academics and an artistic interpreter of Joyce’s words. The discussion was far ranging and included a spirited reading of an excerpt from Flannagan’s Wake. A second panel, held later in the day, investigated Modern Irish Writing: Is the “Irish” Significant?  American born Irish-American writer Mary Pat Kelly was joined by Irish born writers, Maurice Fitzpatrick and Colum McCann, plumbing the depths of their Irish heritage, explaining how being Irish has affected what and/or how they write. The most startling comment was made by McCann who thought that it might be possible that the next great Irish writer might just be a Pole!  [Think about that one!]

The day was filled with theatrical excerpts, film, music and other author talks.  The featured writer this year was Morgan Llywelyn.  I had an opportunity to talk with J.S. Dunn about her book Bending the Boyne, an historical fictional tale set in 2200 B.C.E. when the descendants of those who built Newgrange and the other Boyne passage graves are facing a new invasion by men looking for copper and gold.  [She most graciously signed my copy of her book.]  Other visiting authors included the astounding Maurice Fitzpatrick whose book and film “The Boys of St. Columb’s” tells the story of the first generation of Derry children to receive a free education under the 1947 Education Act in Northern Ireland, cartoonist Pat Byrnes, Dennis Foley, Mary Terese Kanak,  children’s writer Sandra McCone, poet Jerry O’Neill, and many others.

IBAM provided much to read and think about as the shadows lengthen and the days grow colder. I think I’ll just warm up some spiced cider and curl up with J.S. Dunn’s story of the waning days of one Irish culture, awaiting the spring and summer of others…maybe even, someday, a Pole!