The Dead Republic

I just tore through the third and final book in Roddy Doyle's The Last Roundup series. I have been waiting to find out what happened to yer man Henry Smart since 2004. (No spoilers here, Slim, so simmer down.)

If you remember, the last book ended with Henry meeting up with John Ford in Monument Valley after his travels have dragged him up and down America through the Jazz Age, through the Depression years, and in and out of reality through WW Twice. Well, you wouldn't have to be Stephen Hawking to figure out how Henry makes it back home.


And of course, if there is trouble, or more specifically, the start of The Troubles, you can believe our old rebel will be in there somewhere. Roddy Doyle did a nice job weaving our hero through a very complicated time and region. To your right I have included my painting "A Short History of Ulster" so you can see what I mean. With an alphabet soup of armed groups and years of class war, they gave the middle east a run for its money. Thank you Roddy, you did not disappoint.

"A Short History of Ulster",
50" x 33 1/2",
acrylic, oil pastel, chalk and paper on canvas,
2007
Oh, alright, just one more.