Poet Richard Tillinghast launches new collection

national | arts and media | news report Tuesday April 01, 2008 13:51 by Fred Johnston - Western Writers' Centre, Galway westernwriters at eircom dot net 34 Nuns Island Galway 091.533594

Kinvara, Co. Galway, plays host to launching

Richard Tillinghast is no stranger to the thriving little Co. Galway village of Kinvara - now he's launching a new collection of his work there.

Tennessee-born poet, Richard Tillinghast, will launch his latest collection of poetry, 'The New Life,' at Johnston's Hostel, Kinvara, Co. Galway, on Wednesday, April 16th, starting at 8. 30pm. Music is by Clare Sawtell (cello) and Mary O'Sullivan (guitar, accordeon.) The event is organised by the Western Writers' Centre and supported by the Arts Council. Admission is free.
Taking its title from Dante's 'La Vita Nuova,' a celebration of courtly love, the book's themese range from reflections on history, the deaths of old friends and considerations of love. Poet Eavan Boland has said of Tillinghast's collection, 'Six Mile Mountain,' that "It is the pain and waywardness of . . . displacement which makes these poems, finally, so compelling."
Richard Tillinghast, who is no stranger to the West of Ireland and to Kinvara, has published seven collections of poetry and a critical memoir of the poet, Robert Lowell, with two collections of essays. For many years he was Professor of English at the University of Michigan and for a time a Fulbright Scholar in Turkey. He currently resides in Ireland.
Inquiries on the reading to 087.2178138 or 091.533594 and [email protected]
The Western Writers' Centre (Ionad Scríbhneoirí Chaitlin Maude) is based in Galway and is supported by Poetry Ireland, The Arts Council, Foras na Gaeilge and the City and County Councils.