"Contemporary Irish women poets are discovering their own voices and redefining the images and roles of women in Irish history and myth, telling in their own words what it is like to be female in Ireland and describing the everyday lives of wives and mothers and the relationships between men and women. Haberstroh has written a thoughtful, thorough, intelligent analysis of the work of five of these poets, based on interviews with them and her own close reading of their poems, from which she quotes extensively. A chapter each is devoted to Eithne Strong, Eavan Boland, Eilean Ni Chuilleanain, Medbh McGuickian, and Nada Ni Dhomhnaill. The final chapter is a survey of poetry written by Irish women since 1980. Highly recommended for libraries with Irish studies or comprehensive women's studies collections."—Library Journal
Description
Women Creating Women is a pioneering exploration of contemporary Irish women poets that should provide a frame of reference for all future discussion of this topic.
Patricia Haberstroh focuses on five poets in particular, beginning with Eithne Strong and Nuala Nf Dhomhnaill, both of whom still write in the Irish language—each emphasizing the importance of the female perspective on the human experience. She then turns her attention to three of the best-known contemporary poets: Eavan Boland, the most highly esteemed; Medbh McGuckian, the most difficult and original; and Eilean Ni Chuilleanain, whose poems make some of the stronger statements about the need to balance a male with a female perspective to broaden the human vision.
Drawing on a wide reading of the poets’ works and extensive personal interviews with them, Haberstroh demonstrates the emergence of a more self-conscious and self-confident female poet who is ready to rewrite the story of Irish women and redefine and explore female identity and the image of women in Irish history, culture, and literature. Her final chapter explores Irish women’s poetry since 1980.
This book is a celebration of poets, poetry, and Ireland that allows the reader to discover the works of these fine poets.
About the Author
Patricia Boyle Haberstroh is an associate professor of English at La Salle University and a past Women's Studies Advisory Editor for Eire-Ireland.
February 1996