Short Stories, Irish literature, Classics, Modern Fiction, Contemporary Literary Fiction, The Japanese Novel, Post Colonial Asian Fiction, The Legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and quality Historical Novels are Among my Interests








Friday, December 4, 2020

Harbour of Grace - A Short Story by Catherine McNamara - from The Lonely Crowd - Special December 5, 2020 Edition


Website of The Lonely Crowd


Harbour of Grace - A Short Story by Catherine McNamara - from The Lonely Crowd - Special December 5, 2020 Edition


My Post on Pelt and Other Stories - The Debut Collection of Catherine McNamara




My Q and A with Catherine  McNamara


Catherine McNamara's haunting stories map landmarks of psychological encounter. Hers is an international canvas, marking the points where contemporary lives cross with sensuality and finesse. Beautiful work.”  - Hilary Mantel.


The Lonely Cloud, in Observation of their fifth year is Publishing a special edition with fiction, poetry and additional items from cutting edge writers.  I was very happy to see that two writers I have followed closely for years, Catherine McNamara and Ethel Rohan have Short Stories included in the special commeratory issue.



Below is the Table of Contents and a link through which you may place your order.



“Celebrating five years of the literary journal, The Lonely Crowd, this special edition features a wealth of new fiction, poetry and criticism.


Edited by Dr John Lavin.


Published on December 5th, the issue is now available to pre-order here.

And Her Father Niamh MacCabe / Tin Nuala O’Connor /Two Poems Hisham Bustani / Repossession Mary Morrissy

Five Poems Breda Spaight / Pieces Lisa Harding / Six Poems from The Ars John Goodby

Hannah Rensenbrink’s Postcards from Qasigiannguit Richard Smyth / Two Poems Laura Wainwright / Foot and Mouth Laura Morris


An Interview with Will Johnson Angela Graham / Euro 2040 Fiona O’Rourke / Two Poems P. C. Evans


Badlands Fergus Cronin / Four Poems Tracey Rhys / Space is a doubt Fiona O’Connor / Animal Macabre Stephen Payne


Tenderness Justine Bothwick / The Unwanted Ethel Rohan /Three Poems Marcella L. A. Prince / P.O. Box 37864 Craig Austin


An Interview with Bernard O’Donoghue Martina Evans / The Skink Aoife Casby / Through Fire and Ice Matthew M. C. Smith


Where the Dawn Takes Us Mike Fox / Two Poems Tony Curtis / Our Names into the Sea Eamon McGuinness / Three Poems M. W. Bewick


Free Love Lauren Mackenzie / Two Poems Angela Graham / Araiyakushimae Deirdre Shanahan / Two Poems Jackie Gorman


Plainsong Mark Blayney / Kintsugi Claire Hennessey / Goosey Cath Barton / Four Poems Sue Burge


A Prolonged Kiss Jonathan Gibbs / The Lonely Crowd Essay: Poetic Champions Compose Gerald Dawe


I’m 108 Lines Jake Hawkey / The Words He Said Elizabeth Baines / Three Poems 


Harbour of Grace Catherine McNamara / On Seeing His Shoes Niamh MacCabe”


“Harbour of Grace” by Catherine McNamara takes us from Paris to Sydney and back again.  Frances moved from Sydney to Paris years ago.  She moved there to marry and is now back trying to reconnect with her past.  Her friend Adrienna since she left has become a barrister, putting criminals behind bars.  Adrienna has ignored her E mail messages but they run into each other by accident.   Erin, Adrienna’s younger sister, and Frances were once very close until their marriages drove them apart. Their  husbands were socially incompatible.


In Frances we see a Middle aged woman trying to rebuild her life after a shattering divorce, left behind by old friends who don’t need drama she brings.


Harbour of Grace is an acutely observed story, the characters are very real.  We see How time and distance can change relationships.


I greatly enjoyed this story.


Catherine McNamara grew up in Sydney, ran away to Paris to write, and ended up in West Africa running a bar. She was an embassy secretary in pre-war Mogadishu, and has worked as an au pair, graphic designer, gallery manager, teacher, translator and shoe model. 

Praised by Hilary Mantel, her short story collection The Cartography of Others (May 2018, Unbound) was a Finalist in the People’s Book Prize 2019-20, was awarded Grand Prize in the Eyelands International Book Awards (Greece) and listed on the Literary Sofa’s Best of 2018 Reads. Her book Pelt and Other Stories (2013) was long-listed for the Frank O’Connor Award and semi-finalist in the Hudson Prize. Her short stories and flash fiction have been Pushcart-nominated and published widely in the U.K., Europe, U.S.A. and Australia. Her flash fiction collection Love Stories for Hectic Peopleis out in autumn 2020. 

Catherine speaks Italian and French and lives in Veneto, Italy, where she hosts summer retreats for writers and artists in her African-art-filled farmhouse. She is an online writing mentor and coach


The special edition of The Lonely Crowd would make an excellent for any reader on your list.


Mel u







 

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