Art & Authenticy

I was felt that any work of art reflects the artist’s true self. I was in for a change of mind when I went to this reading by Joseph O’ Connor. He was not the as i pictured him to be. I never, never expected him to be so easy going – he even rapped about new york and Baruch. Further not only easy going but he also had tons of charisma that kept the (unexpectedly large number ) audience glued to their seats during his reading. I also like the fact that during his reading of his work he incorporated quoted from other people’s work like John Donne, Walt Whitman or his views other peoples’ work like Patty Smith. I think it just amplified his humbleness and down to earth nature.

His reading can be viewed at this link

Joseph O’Conner is not only a great writer but also very funny. To me, I believe that readings are very important for authors. This way many listeners would understand the way that the author wants them to. During his reading, I thought it was great to listen to him read his work the way he intended others to hear it. Including his jokes and the way he talked normally and to the audience, as he spoke between each of his readings I could sense a part of him in the stories he wrote. It was very interesting to be able to relate the author with his work.

The wonderful thing about audiobooks is that you get to hear your favorite authors read their own work in the way they intended to.  There is something about adding their own voice and emotions that create a new kind of dimension in the reading.

Luckily for us, we had O’Connor come in to read his own work.

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Joseph O’Connor’s book reading

Rating: 3.5 stars

Reasons:

1) Likes:

He is really Irish and he doesn’t mind showing it in his writing. His knowledge is so immense that I have to look up his references. His accent is beautiful. The man is great at writing poetry (how many middle-age men can actually put Eminem into their poems?) And his jokes are hilarious.

2) Dislikes:

There are too many Irish writers who write about the solemnness and sadness of Ireland that having Joseph O’Connor as another player in the game doesn’t really make a difference. And for me, I personally didn’t like the love letter that he was reading out. It’s too slow, too dense, and too out of a-cookie-cutter format.

If you want to see what Joseph O’Connor is all about straight from the horse’s mouth, check out his interview at Indentitytheory.com.

Considering none of us actually wanted to hear an author read his own works . . . or any works for that matter, I’m happy we had to see Joseph O’Conner. After I read the except, I didn’t expect anything that would actually keep me awake but his readings were actually A-mazing. His easy-going nature and pizzazz (yes I said pizzazz) were so enthralling, I was sad to see it end. He was unlike any author I would have imagined . His passion for writing easily came through, it was easy to see why he was so good. The highlight of the event was easily the reading of his new poem to New York at the end. I’m still waiting for the emailed version of it Provost Mccarthy promised to send out…

Youtube Video “Like” from Joseph O’Conner as recommended by Baruch Provost James Mccarthy

     I have never been a poetry advocate so I must admit I did not have very high hopes for Joseph O’Connor. Especially after I heard his very heavy accent and my struggling to understand him. However as I adapted to listening to him I realized the importance of the poem being presented as it was.

     I came to realize that when the poet reads his own poem it is a very different experience. You can really feel the meaning behind it, and how original it truly is. What contributed to this was his accent, it made the poem seem different, even though it is the same no matter who the speaker. It seemed more alive, and more exotic. I must applaud Joseph O’Connor because he had the most daunting task to impress me that anyone at these events has had so far. He showed me that even though I have never enjoyed poetry before, that maybe I just wasn’t hearing it right.

Being read poems or stories is always one thing that bothered me as a child. Being read poems, while unable to see who’s reading them to me is another story. Sitting in the back corner, I could not see the face of the man with the heavy Irish accent pronouncing Baruch as “Baa – rook”. It was like sitting in a large, dark room with only a mini night-light available. The night-light was enough to keep the room going, enough to keep me captivated. There was honesty and “authenticity” in what he was saying, as he chuckled when he stumbled along various lines. I think that’s what struck me most. He was a man of his words, who didn’t need to do such a thing, a man who didn’t need to explain references about certain things or people; everyone just went with the flow. I later recall laughing to my dad about “Tower” and how I didn’t understand it. My dad told me I didn’t have to and that “it” was “just there.” Well, he was right. Poetry is something you don’t have to define a certain way, it’s how you define it.

He may not be too widely known in the U.S., but check his fans out in the U.K!

Professor O’Connor seemed like the quiet, bookish type. You would never expect him to rhyme AND rap. Let’s just say that, it was a shock to hear an Irish professor, who was reciting memoirs and love poems one minute to rap about New York and Baruch the next. It was even more shocking to that every street corner was described so accurately.

Yeah, the tribute to New York was nice; but I still like the romantic and nostalgic writings more. I really liked the part in the memoir about Tennyson; it showed a bond between father and son, and how his love for literature had started.

Star of the Sea was warm, but it had a bittersweet quality to it. I hope I can find a copy.

Listening to Joseph O’Connor read his poem “Tower” is like listening to a rapper. Before meeting him, his rich vocabulary and difficult to understand (due to all the references he make to people and works that I’ve never heard mentioned) readings were intimidating to me. All the time during the reading, I was intrigued by his Irish accent, as it reminds me of Professor O‘Malley. The combination of O’Connor’s powerful voice and the romantic letter excerpt that he read was somewhat eccentric. However, after I’ve heard his poem “Tower” dedicated to Baruch College, (in addition to being impressed by his creativity of putting the “towers” on paper) I realized that poems, when read aloud, can move people emotionally. By the way, where and when can we get the poem?

Who would have thought that Joseph O’Connor would turn out to be such a nice guy! For a writer whose writing style is very cynical, sardonic and critical, this display of public speaking as well as the fact that he spoke very extemporaneously on his works in general brought forth a new identity to this author. Baruch has always been privileged with noteworthy figures teaching in this university through the Writers-In-Residence Program, however Joseph O’Connor brought forth a new meaning to capturing the essence of one’s own writings into real life. It was hard for me to connect the fact that this hearty writer who is not shy about cracking a joke or two could have such a different writing style in his works. I also loved how he made references that were very relevant to the audience such as his “New York Heroes”. The fact that I just visited Patti Smith’s artwork at the “Looking at Music: Side 2” at the Museum of Modern Art brought forth a fresh recollection of what he conveyed about Patti Smith’s works back in the 1970s. His reading on Patti Smith’s achievements during the 1970s and her part in the revolution of rock music and her accomplishments as a female artist reminded me of how I experienced her works first hand at the Museum of Modern Art and this created a true understanding of the essence of not only Patti Smith’s works but also, what Joseph O’Connor found to be authentic in her works.