Posts Tagged ‘Jim Tully’
A Better Book There Never Was: Jim Tully’s “Shanty Irish”
If you ever watched Ken Burns’ PBS documentary series about the Civil War, you might recall hearing excerpts read from a book called “Co. Aytch.” “Co. Aytch”: A Side Show of the Big Show (the title refers to the author’s unit–Company H) is the memoir of an eloquent and perceptive Confederate soldier named Sam Watkins. Margaret…
Read MoreJim Tully: The Wild Irish Son of St. Marys
Jim Tully—novelist, memoirist, journalist, boxer, hobo—was born on June 3, 1886 in St. Marys, Ohio. He wrote fourteen books, many of them about the dark realities of poverty and the gritty underbelly of American life. Tully knew this world firsthand. Jim Tully was the son of Irish immigrants. His father was an alcoholic ditch digger…
Read MoreA nod to the ould sod: Irish-American writers of the Ohio Valley.
It’s St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve always enjoyed this unusual holiday, not only because I’m Irish-American and have memories of the celebration through the years, but also because of its peculiar nature. I can’t think of any other American holiday when one particular ethnic branch of the American tree is so loudly celebrated. It’s a day…
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