• Boyd Letters

Boyd112


LETTER FROM BELFAST
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Dear Larry,

Thank you for your letter last week asking me to
write an article for Ais-Eiri. I've made two attempts
already and failed. Will this letter do instead?
If it's unsuitable, tear it up. But the fact is that
what I have to say about living and writing in Belfast at
present is far too personal, too disjointed, too
fragmentary, to be readily shaped into an article. An
article presupposes expertise, special insights, research,
and I can lay claim to none of these. There have been
many millions of words uttered or written about the
'troubles'; broadcasters, journalists, professors,
politicians, economists, historians, sociologists,
authors and 'authorities' of all sorts have had, or are
having, their say, and such is the linguistic deluge that
I'm drenched with it all and can take no more

Now as news comes in
of each neighbourly murder
we pine for ceremony,
customary rhythms:
the temperate footsteps
of a cortege, winding past
each blinded home .....

- 1 -

Boyd112
Subject: 
John Boyd
Coverage: 
19 Jan
Citation: 
Linen Hall Library, "Boyd112", Northern Ireland Literary Archive, accessed Fri, 03/29/2024 - 05:06, https://www.niliteraryarchive.com/content/boyd112?page=1