Re: arise, ye sons of Erin
Tim O'Connor (tim@roughdraft.org)
Fri, 27 Mar 1998 02:04:22 -0500
> I should very much like to endorse Tim's comments about
> `Colonials'. There is absolutely NO REASON WHATEVER that
> Americans, Canadians, or even our coloured friends from the
> Antipodes should feel the smallest sense of inferiority arising
> the former subservient status of their homelands. You have all
> done tremendously well since throwing off the oppressor's yoke
> & goodness knows not one of you has the slightest reason to
> apologise for the literatures of your splendid new cultures.
(My paternal side is 100% Irish, still there, so I have it in stereo in my
head, once here and once there.)
> It's jolly well time some kind of stop was put to it.
8-)
> I thought Tim's rebel ditty was marvellous. I do hope some day
> he can let us have the full lyrics.
Yes -- I have to dig up that very rare Amiri Baraka record, which is an
album of performed poetry backed by an incredible jazz group.
> (Mind you, I have the smallest reservation about the six writers
> mentioned as being `as Irish as the IRA'. I'm sure the chaps
> themselves certainly asserted their Irishness in the salons
> of London & Paris. I'm afraid they weren't embraced quite
> so unquestioningly by their contemporaries. And, indeed, if you
> examine them closely you may notice one feature they have in
> common which might cast a small question mark over their
> credentials in the eyes of the present IRA.)
Oh, yes -- there is a lot of outright political and racial rhetoric in the
poem; Amiri Baraka did it as a kind of anthem of black nationalism, and his
selection of writers was as much for the sound as the reality. And the bit
about the IRA, well, it was very much a slap in the face as opposed to a
bit of historical reality. But what a great performance. 20+ minutes of
incredible verbal fireworks.
Thanks for the thoughtful post. We really have to get over this national
victimhood thing.
--tim