C.laire-Louise Bennett grew up in Wiltshire, studying literature and drama at the University of Roehampton before moving to Galway, where she worked in theater for several years. Her essay and her short fiction are Irish Times and the sting flyand in 2013 she won the inauguration white review Short story award. In 2015, she published her first collection of short stories. pondwas a finalist for the Dylan Thomas Award. Checkout 19 (Vintage) was a Goldsmith Award finalist and is now out in paperback.
1. Make a reservation
Rin Tillman
She is an American novelist, short story writer, and cultural critic.The Peninsula Press published her novel and Haunted houseReleased in 1987, reissued in October. This is her novel made up of three separate stories, each depicting a young woman’s journey into womanhood. It’s an awkward, painful, exhilarating time. You discover that you are a sexual being and you see her parents, especially her mother, in a whole new and very critical way, and I love the way she portrays it all. Her prose is both poignant and irreverent, warm but also very sharp.
2. Cafe
Cafe de Perce, Amsterdam
1930’s style cafe bar. The interior has this beautiful and elegant simplicity. Wood floors and siding, curved metal counters, hanging frosted pendant lights, no music. They also have this rack full of papers from all over the world and people are reading at this big communal table by the window. , just noticed that I wrote a little. I’m out there a lot and I wish I was closer.
3. Exhibition
Bones in the Attic, Hugh Lane, Dublin
It opens August 11th and is a group exhibition of female artists including Alice Maher, Dorothy Cross, Ruby Wallis and Jesse Jones. When I was reading about it, I realized how unique Irish feminism is because Ireland has a very rich mythological heritage and social history, and a different power structure than the United States or Great Britain. Because it poses very different concerns and issues to be addressed, I think it is important to explore how these works explore these cultural sources and unique stories and their perspectives on the experience of women. I’m interested in seeing what it does.
4. Music
cucina povera
Ever since I was a kid, I loved listening to weird music in the dark, listening to Laurie Anderson’s O Superman late at night when I couldn’t sleep. It took me to a completely different dimension. Since then, I have met female experimental sound artists such as Pauline Oliveros, Aisha Devi, Felicia Atkinson and Pang Daijin. I especially like the way she creates her Cucina Povera pieces. It is vocal based and contains many repetitions and loops. There’s something pretty sacred and spiritual about it, but it’s also really naive at the same time.
5. Activity
Swim at Ladies Beach, Salthill and Galway
This is an urban beach. Crowded and quite lively and busy. I’ve been going there for years to meet friends and swim. We talk about everything that’s going on: work, love, getting older… It’s great to talk while looking at the big body of water. It makes me feel very open and makes you think in a vast way. Swimming under the moonlight is truly magical. I have great memories there.
6. Location
High Fidelity, Berkeley, CA
In general, I don’t smoke dope. I don’t get along with it. But I was in Berkeley for the Spring Book Festival and wanted to do something fun for my birthday. So I persuaded another writer to come to this cannabis dispensary, and after speaking with a very knowledgeable assistant, he chose a pair of flavored gummies. Just walking around the campus of the University of California, Berkeley was great. It was amazing with some huge sequoia trees and a strong eucalyptus scent. In fact, it was much better than drinking. By the next day I was completely fine.