Short stories, poems, plays, creative facilitation
I’m doing two book signings in the run-up to Christmas 2022:
Castle Books, Main St (i.e., not their sister store on Castle St), Castlebar, Co. Mayo – Thursday, December 22, 2-4pm
Martin Murphy’s Newsagency & Book Shop, Main St, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo – Friday, December 23, 2-4pm
Might see you on one of those days.
Mayo Arts Service hosted a talk on publishing in Breaffy House Resort on Saturday last (November 26). There was a good turnout including would-be and already-are novelists, poets, short story writers, memoirists.
The four speakers were Mariel Deegan of New Island Books, Matthew Parkinson-Bennett of Little Island and Lisa Frank and John Walsh of Doire Press. All four were remarkably open and honest in their contributions. Orlagh Heverin and her colleagues in the Mayo Arts Service deserve great credit for organising the event – saved us all travelling to the larger urban centres.
“Writing his own book has been an itch Liam Horan has longed to scratch, and we should all be grateful he has. The Ballinrobe man’s debut book is an engaging collection of short stories that bring tales and, particularly, characters from the west of Ireland vividly to life within its pages” – Edwin McGreal’s intro to his review and interview in this week’s Mayo News.
Ceol Agus Ealaion with Joe Byrne is a quirky Tuesday night radio show on Midwest Radio.
Joe is an accomplished musician, folklorist and historian and his shows reflect his diverse interests and talents.
I enjoyed visiting Joe at his home in Aghamore to record a slot about Second Chance & Other Stories that was broadcast on Tuesday, October 25.
Listen below…apart from anything else, you’ll find the style and format entertaining if you haven’t heard Joe’s show before.
It is time to write a blog.
Important topics to contemplate roaming the secret landscapes of my mind include Would I Marry Myself, Where does an In-between Man Find Fire, Why No is the New No and Neck Is a Great Thing Too, Isn’t It?
There, consider the blog half born.
I have, of course, back dated this post by a few weeks so that it doesn’t stick as the top post on the home page. That’s the kind of thing an in-between man does while he’s not really sure whether he wants to find fire or when he meets fire with reticence.
Three steps:
1: This is the passcode: Original9*
Copy it, you may need to paste it in Step 3 below. Or, if you prefer, write it down and type it in if you’re asked to at Step 3 below.
2: Join the meeting by clicking HERE – or by copying and pasting this info into your browser:
https://us05web.zoom.us/j/8190719089?pwd=tzhUboi8voPfU9tpnlMVMPAp8IpW1g.1
3: When you do that, you may be asked to enter the passcode from Step 1 above. Paste or type it and away you go. Your coach will meet you in the meeting at the appointed time.
Any difficulties, email Liam on liam@liamhoran.info
This story is included in the collection Second Chance & Other Stories, published October 2022 – read it below, or listen here:
Charlie pulled the car in on the left just before the empty pier. He held down the button to turn off his phone, which was feeding Spotify through the speaker system, and slipped it down into the pocket on the side of the driver’s door – for once, not choc-a-bloc with scribbled notes, loose batteries, old keys, match programmes and a dozen other random items. “Make sure you clean the car,” had been Sophie’s last words the evening before, “and get it washed as well.” He lifted his wallet off the passenger’s seat and put it into the glove compartment, and unnecessarily checked one more time that the little black ring box was there too. Then he hopped out and grabbed his sports bag from the boot. The morning was grey, and the water lapped onto the end of the pier.
“Why do I do this?” he asked himself again, just as he had a few times on the ever-narrowing road out from town. Now, as he fumbled with his jocks under his dryrobe, and looked out at the choppy lake, he contemplated not bothering. But he was having a good run of it lately and though Sophie had wanted to get on the road earlier, he told her he’d like to grab a swim before they left, and so it would be 9.30am before he’d be at her house.
