Monday, March 22, 2010

Audio versions of Short Stories Online

There are some great audio versions of classic short stories online. Check them out at Chicago Public Radio online.
You will need Real Player to listen to them.
There's even one for Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery". Just follow the link.
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Saturday, March 20, 2010

Film Trailer: The Wind that Shakes the Barley

The Wind That Shakes the Barley, a film about the Irish War for Independence and the subsequent civil war, directed by Ken Loach. Check out the trailer below.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

The Historical Setting of O'Flaherty's "The Sniper": The Irish Civil War, 1922-1923.

Footage of fighting in Dublin during the Irish Civil War, June 1922 to May 1923. It followed the War for Independence against England, 1919-1921. The author of "The Sniper," Liam O'Flaherty was a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the Civil War. The bombardment and eventual destruction of the Four Courts building in Dublin, in which the IRA had holed up, sealed the defeat of the IRA by the Free Staters, those in favor of a compromise with England. The Free Staters won, and Ireland did not gain full independence until 1949, over 20 years later. After you read the story, meditate on what you believe is the central message of "The Sniper".