How would you spend a rainy day in Dublin?
Veronica’s workshop started at the Hugh Lane gallery, home to an eclectic collection curated largely by Lane, including pieces named in his unwitnessed codicil to move works from The National Gallery in London. Students wrote ekphrastic prose and bricolage poems based on the artworks, and also had a chance to view Irish born artist Francis Bacon’s original London studio, which is recreated in all its chaos within the Hugh Lane’s arctic installation space.
Ekphrasis at work.
Patrick’s workshop hit up Sweny’s for a tea-fueled reading of Dubliners, and Joyce mania was contagious.
Look at these books!
Literary euphoria.
We hid from the rain all over the hostel today: in the game room, where students read through Lorrie Moore’s “How To Become a Writer,” and in the community meeting space, where students opted for more of what there’s never enough of: plain old time to write.
Repurposing the Game Room.
After a properly damp Irish day, we had an equally fitting evening: an Irish dance lesson(!), a stint listening to traditional music in a terrific pub, and incredibly delicious locally sourced dinner fare at L. Mulligan Grocer.
Irish dance instructor Mary Beth with our undivided attention.
On deck for trad at the Cobblestone.
L. Mulligan Grocer absolutely killing the new Irish cuisine game.
This salted caramel brownie with berry coulis and pistachio butter was so good it made at least one of us, possibly Veronica, cry.
The craic, as they say, was had by all.
Til next,
Veronica & Patrick