The Mercier Press
vydavateľstvo
The Short Story
In this enduring classic, renowned Irish author Seán O''Faoláin offers a penetrating examination of what makes great short fiction work. Drawing from his experience as both a master practitioner and dedicated teacher of the form, O''Faoláin provides aspiring writers with insights that have remained relevant for over seven decades.The heart of O''Faoláin''s approach lies not in technical formulas but in his insistence that good writing begins with authentic perception. Through clear-eyed analysis and memorable examples, he demonstrates why so many aspiring writers fail—not for lack of technique, but because they have not truly learned to see the world around them.O''Faoláin challenges the notion that ordinary lives provide insufficient material for fiction, pointing to writers like Dickens and Maupassant who transformed humble experiences into enduring literature. He argues persuasively that the bank clerk who claims to have nothing to write about has missed the essential truth: that the writer''s gift lies not in extraordinary circumstances but in extraordinary awareness. His unique perspective as an Irish writer engaged with European literary traditions gives the book a broad, cosmopolitan outlook. ''The Short Story'' stands alongside Frank O''Connor''s ''The Lonely Voice'' as an indispensable resource for writers, readers, and scholars.Blending practical advice with philosophical depth, this vintage gem from the post-war literary renaissance stands as both a practical guide and a passionate defense of authenticity in fiction. For anyone serious about the craft of short stories, O''Faoláin''s candid, sometimes bracingly direct counsel remains as valuable today as when first written.
Somewhere Cold
In 1989, Irish doctor Geraldine Osborne, her artist husband Danny, and their three young children—ages five, two, and one—embarked on an extraordinary adventure: to spend a year living in one of the most isolated parts of the world, the tiny Inuit settlement of Grise Fiord, over a thousand kilometres above the Arctic Circle. Danny wasn't a stranger to Arctic extremes. In 1981, he took part in the first Irish Arctic Expedition. But his urge to reconnect with the Arctic never left—and in 1989, he convinced Geraldine to pack up their young family to spend the dark winter at temperatures below -40 °C living in this northernmost community of Canada while training their dog team and preparing for a perilous dog-sledge journey across the frozen sea to retrace the route of the last Inuit migration to Greenland in the following spring. Written with warmth, humour, and unflinching honesty, Somewhere Cold explores their remarkable year in the High Arctic as Geraldine balances maternal instincts to protect her children from hazards with the desire to embrace this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Along the way, they form deep connections with the local Inuit community, who share their traditional knowledge, country food, and exceptional resilience. A compelling blend of travel narrative, family memoir and cultural observation, richly illustrated with photographs, Somewhere Cold is about pushing boundaries, embracing the unknown and discovering that sometimes the most valuable lessons come from unexpected places. Insights into contemporary Nunavut life have recently hit the headlines via the Netflix Show North of North, and Somewhere Cold portrays an equally engaging period when Inuit life was still in transition.
Vypredané
27,99 €