Brief Interludes

The Mentor Book of Irish Poetry. Edited by Devin A Garrity. I have to say this about the old Mentor books. They were sturdily put together in the old days. This volume (from 1965), though it shows some wear and has previous owner’s marks, still has clear pages and tight bindings. Anthologizes four centuries of Irish poetry, from translations of Irish monks to William Butler Yeats. Much fine fairy poetry, but also nature poetry, love poetry, religious poetry, and salty Irish humor like “What Tomas Said in a Pub”. Ranking: Essential. File Code: Poetry. Anthology. Paperback.

The Oxford Book of Literary Anecdotes, Edited by James Sutherland, (This Edition: 1976). I first read this book in college in a hardback from the library and found this copy at Half-Price much later. Cover shows extensive wear and is now repaired by tape. Little stories about the lives of authors, most contemporary, by turns inspiring, amusing, and tragic. Good for giving a glimpse into the literary life through the ages and a sort of biography in short. Ranking: Essential. File Code: Anecdotes, Anthology, Literature, Paperback.