Irish Women Writers

There are now so many writers in Ireland that it is not longer necessary to make a fuss about the position of women. However, the institutions are still lagging behind the reality and I always find a visit to the Abbey Theatre foyer, with the looming photos of the greats of the past, a bit morose. Only Lady Gregory, looking suitably serious, was among them when I last visited. But that was several years ago and the sadness that now hangs about the institution in my mind has not called for a return visit.

Why Irish writing, regardless of gender should be often so weird and scary is a matter of choice by those who write. Just because we are afflicted with James Joyce does not mean we have to follow suit. It was fashionable years ago to laud Molly Bloom's soliloquy as a great comic masterpiece. I found it quaint...and reading that Jung regarded it as some manifestation of "the feminine" has not helped endear it any futher. It is so old fashioned to live in tired metaphors.

A list of likely lady writers is easily found on the Internet these days. And the enjoyable aspect of life today is that gender no longer really matters...