Galway AdvertiserLaurence McKeown - an Irish Republican’s journey from prison cell to published writer.

Kernan Andrews
19-Nov-2020

The Arts are essential to politics, precisely because they can go beyond ideologies and entrenched positions, into the mind and lived experience of another person. Through the artist’s presentation of that life, we can see another perspective; who we might be in other circumstances; or into a reality we have been fortunate enough not to have lived.

For Laurence McKeown, the playwright, academic, and author, who also took part in the 1981 hunger strikes in the H-Blocks, the arts, particularly theatre, has a vital role to play in activism, politics, and public discourse. “The arts take us to a different place, a more human place,” he says.

Lawrence is one of the featured readers at this evening’s Over The Edge, where he will read from his debut poetry collection, Threads. Although published by Salmon Poetry in 2018, it contains poems which date back to his years as an IRA prisoner, and it was in prison his development as a writer began.
 
Continue reading @ Galway Advertiser.

‘The Arts Take Us To A Different Place, A More Human Place’

Galway AdvertiserLaurence McKeown - an Irish Republican’s journey from prison cell to published writer.

Kernan Andrews
19-Nov-2020

The Arts are essential to politics, precisely because they can go beyond ideologies and entrenched positions, into the mind and lived experience of another person. Through the artist’s presentation of that life, we can see another perspective; who we might be in other circumstances; or into a reality we have been fortunate enough not to have lived.

For Laurence McKeown, the playwright, academic, and author, who also took part in the 1981 hunger strikes in the H-Blocks, the arts, particularly theatre, has a vital role to play in activism, politics, and public discourse. “The arts take us to a different place, a more human place,” he says.

Lawrence is one of the featured readers at this evening’s Over The Edge, where he will read from his debut poetry collection, Threads. Although published by Salmon Poetry in 2018, it contains poems which date back to his years as an IRA prisoner, and it was in prison his development as a writer began.
 
Continue reading @ Galway Advertiser.

5 comments:

  1. Henry Joy - the top link works but the second didn't for some reason. I have gone on and reset it. Let me know if it is working now.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm always delighted to see prisoners in or out of jail axcelling in academia or the arts. Maybe because after all the banter and slagging I'm an empathiser. Was disgusted at Adams smug attitude towards Keiran Nugent's personal problems. Especially given Adams own alleged family traumas. But there ya go. Great to see Laurence blazing a trail.

    Larry Hughes

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    Replies
    1. Laurny came as close to death as it is possible for anybody and survived. He has made an impact in the arts world in a way that not one blanket screw ever did. Sort of tells you something. He and I would not see eye to eye on a lot of political matters but that is secondary.

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