Love Is Not Just For February
I love icons and saints and saints’ stories and mark their feast days with the appropriate symbols and flowers. All except Saint Valentine. Poor Saint Valentine, he was hijacked by consumerism and the money spinners turned his celebration into a day fostering loneliness, disappointment,...
“To Sarah 1999”
To Sara, 1999 by Bill Jones Nearly sixteen years ago, you made your way into this world, calm and quiet, with none of the fuss or emergency of Sean and Nate. Mom didn’t break a sweat. When you started crawling, you strutted, hands...
Into The Darkness
On November 9th 2016, still in bed, almost blind with disturbed sleep and terrified disbelief, I posted this: “Woke in the darkness to The Darkness. Everything is tumbling….stocks, hopes, pesos. The lights are going out all over the world.” “The Dark Ages” “The Dark Times”...
A Timber Lifeline Defeats an Oil Pipeline
With over 50 exhibitions to his credit over the past quarter century as well as awards, residencies and lecturing, Peter Von Tiesenhausan is one of Canada’s best known artists. Also a sculptor, video and performance artist, Peter’s canvas is wide and though he does not...
Leonard Cohen and Saint Kateri Tekakwitha
Inspired by Leonard Cohen’s “Be With Me” I made this collage of medals and relics in November 2010, possibly – sinfully – triumphantly justifying my hoarding of the family collection of such religious/superstitious – but also historically valuable – memorabilia and taliswomen. Leonard Cohen was...
Apocalypse Now
America has rejected a female heart and brain surrounded by a bevy of brilliant women, in favour of a male ego surrounded by rotund, jowly old white conservative capitalist males. Ahead of the vote, result or its latest publication date, the New Yorker Magazine released its...
The US Presidential Election 2016
For months I have been consumed and obsessed with the US Presidential Election, spending so much time on computer, radio and television that I barely got in the harvest before the first frost hit. I have also become a bore on social media, dealing with...
Irish Dancing
One of the most enjoyable gigs I ever covered as a journalist was the World Irish Dancing Championships when it was held in Cork. I wish I one of the 7,000 spectators along with the 1,600 competitors at Oireachtas Rince na h-Éireann 2016...
The Grand-duc d’Europe
In August 1999, there was a total eclipse of the sun. Living in the Mardyke area of Cork city between the River Lee and the University, I was waiting for the phenomenon. A few moments before the appointed time, early afternoon, it...
The Seasons of Enlightenment
It’s not losing our glasses that causes us the most grief anymore, not even losing our keys or the odd sock….it’s our telephones. Our personal telephones are like our gods, they are called a different name in each religion and each culture, but essentially, they...