300

If you haven't seen it yet, you really should go and see the movie "300." Visually, it's stunning. At this stage, in terms of CGI, it really appears that directors are limited only by their imaginations. The effects are seamless and the story (loosely based on a real event) is fairly tight. I was a little put off by the lead actor's slight Scottish accent, but it was a small flaw in an otherwise amazing film. There is very nice website on the film which you can see here. And if you search "300" on youtube.com, you can see various video clips about the making of the film, which are really fascinating. One thing that I did wonder about, however, was if the filmakers were trying to make an allegorical film about events in the middle east? The film concerns itself with the Spartan's heroic stand against the Xerxes and his Persian army. The now famous battle of Thermopylae can be read about in detail in "Herodotus: The Histories." I know there are liberties taken with the actual events (and even what we know, I'm sure has also been twisted and shaped over the millenia) but in some ways I don't think the filmmakers are taking themselves too seriously. And throughout, there is always the sense that the film is ultimately a brillant adaptation of a graphic novel, by Frank Miller.

It's funny how things work out, when it comes to writing, especially my own writing. It's been two years now, since the book you see here was published in Ireland. In 2005 I was privileged to win the Best Emerging Fiction Award at the Sunday Tribune, Hennessy Literary Awards, which was held in the newly built Sheraton hotel in Dublin. It was a wonderful evening and one which will stay with me for years to come. Anyway, a year later, my story "Splendent sun and tawny moon," was selected to be a part of the the book you see here. It was a thrill to see my writing in such a beautifully designed book.
Last year, on a week's stay in Galway, I was shopping with my daughter, browsing the cool bookshops in Galway town, when we happened to come across a copy of the Hennessy book. My daughter's eyes widened when she saw it and quickly leafed through the book to see her fathers name. I'll never forget that moment; it was priceless. So, at the end of the day, after all the years of writing, it's funny how all that work can be validated by such a simple gesture. If you'd like to get a copy of the book it is available through Amazon here.

Coming soon in 2007

I'll be using this blog to primarily talk about my various writing projects but I will also discuss other matters such as design, education and the arts in general. I'll also be using this forum to discuss Irish and Irish-American writing. If you are interested in seeing my design work, please visit here. And, if you'd like to read about my role as an educator, then go here instead. Thanks:)