Scottish :: World Literature

NPR Topics: Authors

Tracing The Roots Of 'Irish Madness'
Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:32:00 -0400
For five generations, Patrick Tracey's family has been plagued by what he calls "a perfect storm of schizophrenia." In his new book, Stalking Irish Madness, he traces his family lineage — and the roots of the disease — all the way back to Ireland.
Writer Ethan Canin Tackles The American Dream
Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:52:00 -0400
America America is an ambitious, old-fashioned novel about politics, power and class in a small, upstate New York town. The Nixon-era tale is Canin's sixth book.
Library Of America Honors Overshadowed Writer
Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:05:00 -0400
During 40 years as fiction editor of the New Yorker magazine, William Maxwell worked with luminaries like Vladimir Nabokov and John Cheever. His own writings were often overshadowed by his job — but now they've been reissued by the Library of America to mark the centennial of his birth. NPR's Jacki Lyden finds out more about the man and his words.
A Nation Divided In 'Nixonland'
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:14:00 -0400
Rick Perlstein's book, Nixonland, combines an evocative trip through the 1960s and early 1970s with an assessment of the impact of Richard Nixon's political career. Perstein argues that many of the deep political divisions in modern American politics were defined by that period, and exploited effectively by Nixon.
Europe On The Cheap? Voila: A Grand Literary Tour
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:47:00 -0400
A dollar won't buy you much in Europe these days. But three books set on the continent offer a full immersion in "la dolce vita" — at minimal cost.
Lincoln's Strategy To Turn Rivals Into Allies
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:52:00 -0400
After he won the presidency, Abraham Lincoln brought three of his rivals for the Republican nomination into his cabinet. Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, Team of Rivals, recounts the life and work of our 16th president — and the principal characters of his administration.

 

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404 'World's Worst Poet' Wins Immortality - Reuters news report of moves to honour McGonagall in Dundee, includes brief biographical sketch.

All hail McGonagall, in verse there were few worse - Biographical article and quotes, from Australian newspaper The Age.
Meta Description: [ William McGonagall's dreadful poetry had no sense of rhyme or grammar. But it didn't stop him dreaming of being a poet laureate. - The Age ]

Beautiful Monikie - McGonagall poem praising as bonnie a place as ye could wish to see, and about eleven or twelve miles from bonnie Dundee

Famous Scots - William McGonagall - Short biographical article and picture of a recently erected memorial plaque.
Meta Description: [ UK for visitors is intended for people both within the UK and from abroad planning their vacations. Its intention is to provide information about everything you will ever need to know for your holidays about England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and The Channel Islands. ]

Great Scot - Review of McGonagall's life, poetic style and works marred by some minor factual errors.
Meta Description: [ Read reviews and compare prices for William McGonagall ]

Great Scotsmen - William McGonagall - Humorous tribute from the alternative voice of Scotland

Grossly Maligned and Misunderstood - William McGonagall is one of the 19th century's true life tragic romantic heroes - especially so because he was blissfully unaware of the fact!. Review from ciao.co.uk
Meta Description: [ Read reviews and compare prices for William McGonagall ]

Inadvertent Doggerel - A celebration of a particular feature of Victorian literature — accidental trash poetry. An article discussing McGonagall, alongside other poets.
Meta Description: [ Inadvertent Doggerel is just one of the many subjects featured in Bikwil, the home of quiet enthusiasms, where its contributors celebrate in prose, verse or art whatever beguiles them. The key spirit is one of positivity. ]

John Laurie as The Great McGonagall - Review of an LP on which Scots actor John Laurie impersonates McGonagall and reads from his poetry. Laurie was partly responsible for bringing McGonagall to a wider audience in the 1960's
Meta Description: [ Information about BBC television show Dad's Army which includes links to other Dad's Army sites as well as a Dad's Army episode guide, Dad's Army cast list and a long list of Dad's Army Merchandise ]

liam McGonagall - McGonagall's poem about the city, with links to modern photographs of the features he describes.

McGonagall 2002 Exhibition - A selection of original McGonagall manuscripts and related documents from the collection of the Dundee library.

404 McGonagall Lament? - Review of the poet's life, and a suitable poetic description of it from the staff of the Perth Kinross libraries.

McGonagall Online - Comprehensive tribute to the poet and tragedian which includes his autobiography as well as all his published poems.
Meta Description: [ A tribute to the great poet and tragedian of Dundee, the only place on the internet where you can find his full autobiography ]

McGonagall's Military Verse - Selection of poems commemorating the military actions of the British Empire - evidently one of McGonagall's favourite subjects.

McGonagall: Gone but Unforgettable - A plaque is unveiled at McGonagall's burial site. Report and profile from BBC News.
Meta Description: [ A "writer" acknowledged as one of the world's worst poets is honoured at his burial place in Edinburgh. ]

One of God's Clumsy Innocents - Appreciation and biography of the poet, with some sample poems.

Scottish Writers on the Internet: William McGonagall - Concise biography and list of published works.

Scottish Writers: William McGonagall - A photograph of the poet, striking a dramatic pose with his hat and walking stick.

The Great McGonagall - Biographical article from Canadian website Brigadoonery

The McGonagall Lexicon - Large collection of poetic gems online, together with a chat room and a selection of links.

The Poetry of Scotland - William McGonagall - Short biography plus small selection of poems with brief background information.
Meta Description: [ Poetry, Scottish Ballads, Scottish songs, Scottish writers, Robert Burns, William McGonagall, Modern Poets ]

500 The Time I Discovered Myself to be a Poet - Analysis of a passage from McGonagall's autobiography which appears in a UK examination syllabus.

The Worst Poem of All Time: William Topaz McGonagall's The Tay Bridge Disaster - Text and criticism of the work.
Meta Description: [ We invite you to partake in what we consider the absolute freefall of his bottomless barrel, best savored when read aloud with the audience joining in on the fateful chorus, from your About.com guides, Bob Holman & Margery Snyder. ]

Tribute to the Best Bad Bard - The city of Dundee plans a unique riverside tribute, report from BBC News.
Meta Description: [ The city of Dundee plans a unique riverside tribute to William McGonagall who has been dubbed the world's best known bad poet. ]

William McGonagall - Poet and Tragedian of Dundee - Dundee City Council's page on the city's famous bard: the world's best bad poet. Includes a facsimile of an original McGonagall manuscript.

William McGonagall, a Terrible Poet - Lengthy essay about the poet, his life and his writings.
Meta Description: [ Follow the adventures of the Worst Poet in the World ]

William McGonagall: Quixote of the North - Article and appreciation of the teetotal twit who thought he was Tennyson, by poet W. N. Herbert.

William McGonagall: White Elephant - Lengthy article about the man from Scotland Magazine.
Meta Description: [ Scotland Magazine the ultimate Scottish resource. Issue information and contents. : ]

William Topaz McGonagall Appreciation Society - Dundee-based fan club for the poet and tragedian. Presents a small selection of his poems and links to other sites.