Culture

An A.B.C. of Irish Modernism: Apocalypse, Boredom, Crack

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In a powerful 1997 essay, Seamus Deane suggested that the twin forces that beset modern Irish writers such as W.B. Yeats and James Joyce were those of Apocalypse and Boredom.[1]  Both the culture in which the writers lived and the art-works they produced are marked by phasic interruptions into colonial despondency of revelatory dramas and … Read more

Shane MacGowan and ‘the Riddle of Ballinalee’ in Bob Dylan’s ‘I Contain Multitudes’

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At Cassandra Voices we uncover stories behind stories. Just occasionally these accounts reach the mainstream. So it has proved with what is being popularly referred to as ‘the riddle of Ballinalee’. Let’s recall the adventure so far. Last week our then anonymous sleuth advanced a theory as to the origin of the words in the … Read more

John Gray: the UK’s Leading Public Intellectual

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Like errant flames from the dying embers of a once great fire, there is much fakery to be found emanating from a previously proud tradition of public intellectualism in the U.K., and elsewhere. The English philosopher John Gray (1948-) is at least not one of the self-help gurus, such as Jordan Peterson, that have gained … Read more

In Conversation with David Langwallner

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London-based Barrister David Langwallner, the founder of the Innocence Project in Ireland, responds to the latest interview with Edward Snowden. He distinguishes between private concerns and socio-economic rights; with the latter more urgent than ever during this period of crisis. By comparison, he says, privacy considerations are not essential: ‘the most important human rights are … Read more

Bob Dylan’s New Song and Ballinalee County Longford

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Butterflies continue to fly from septuagenarian Bob Dylan’s cocoon. Last week the Bard of Duluth released yet another song ‘I Contain Multitudes’ after his long hiatus. The opening lyrics piqued our curiosity: Today and tomorrow and yesterday, too, The flowers are dyin’ like all things do, Follow me close, I’m going to Ballinalee, I’ll lose my … Read more

Porto Under Lockdown

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Antiga, Mui Nobre, Sempre Leal e Invicta, the city of Porto, a place so magical, strong and with such welcoming people, full of life and undeniable beauty, alas did not avoid the pandemic. Today it is one of the epicentres of the contagion in Portugal. For anyone who have been living in the city for … Read more

Artist of the Month – Uluç Ali Kılıç

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I am a visual artist based in Istanbul. I was born in 1979 in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. I studied painting at Hacettepe University in Ankara, graduating in 2003. As a student I was mostly influenced by abstract expressionism. I also began to use installations and video art. These three media are now … Read more