Pue’s Recommendations for February

Juliana Adelman I am currently reading It’s a Don’s Life, derived from Classicist Mary Beard’s blog of the same name. The blog and book are appealingly personal and the topics covered are anything from scholarly to political, all well written.  The National Library of Ireland has started a new online exhibition called ‘Discover Your National Library‘.  It’s not really targeted at academic researchers, but it’s worth a look.  Finally, two friends  recognised that cheesy Victorian period horror about werewolves ought to be right up my alley and alerted me to the opening of The Wolfman (12 Feb).  I can’t wait!

Lisa-Marie Griffith The IFI are running a fantastic free series for anyone in and around the capital this month called ‘Archive at lunchtime’. Under half an hour in length, the programmes include both fictional and non-fictional stories that are aimed at giving the viewer ‘a unique insight into Irish society’. This month they feature the work of Colm O’Laoghaire and begin this lunchtime with Water Wisdom & Irish Gossamer.

Christina Morin This month is a busy one for music in Belfast, and I’m looking forward to experiencing some of the city’s vibrant musical culture with the 7th annual Féile an Earraigh running from 4-7 February. With a great line-up of well-known bands and performers as well as a diverse range of concerts, performances, and activities happening at various venues throughout the city, the festival promises to be a lot of fun. I’m also hoping to catch the London Classic Theatre‘s production of Martin McDonagh’s The Beauty Queen of Leenane when I’m in Cork for Valentine’s Day weekend. The play runs at the Everyman Palace Theatre from 2-13 February. While I’m in the soi-disant People’s Republic, I might also take the opportunity of popping into the Lewis Glucksman Gallery for the Thingamajig exhibit running from 23 January-9 May 2010. Exploring ‘the secret life of objects’, the exhibit is free, as is the stroll around UCC‘s campus – my old haunting grounds – you can take when you’re finished in the gallery.

Kevin O’Sullivan A history of the world, in thirteen-minute segments, across one hundred objects from the British Museum, hardly sounds like the most compelling of audio experiences, but if you can momentarily cast aside your doubts about the righftul ownership of some of these pieces (appeased by the promise that the series will deal with the issue), Radio 4’s aptly named new series A History of the World in One Hundred Objects well rewards a listen, or a podcast. Speaking of desirable objects, the new edition of Field Day Review arrived in January, its layout and subject-range as striking as ever, keeping its place as a must-read among Irish academic journals. It also includes an eminently readable article on zoological gardens in Dublin by one of the editors of this parish that’s certainly worth checking out. Finally, anyone in Dublin or passing through should jump on the Luas and head up to IMMA to catch Picturing New York: Photographs from The Museum of Modern Art, a striking collection of photographs of the city from the 1880s to today that runs until 14 February (hat-tip to Patrick Walsh for pointing this one out).