Gerry Murphy (poet)
Encyclopedia
Gerry Murphy is an Irish
poet
.
He attended University College Cork where he was part of a resurgence of literary activity under the inspiration of John Montague
. Among his contemporaries, described by Thomas Dillon Redshaw as "that remarkable generation," there were Thomas McCarthy
, William Wall
, Theo Dorgan
, Maurice Riordan
, Greg Delanty
and Sean Dunne
. He is a hugely popular reader of his own work. But “...what makes Murphy unique among his contemporaries,” according to John Montague in a brief foreword to the Selected volume, “is his curious integrity, the way he has created an aesthetic out of nearly nothing, ex nihilo.”
After dropping out of university in the early 1970s Murphy spent some years working in London and a year living in an Israeli Kibbutz before returning to Cork in 1980 where he has remained ever since. A champion swimmer, he has made his living primarily as a life guard and swimming pool manager.
Pocket Apocalypse, his translations of the Polish poet Katarzyna Borun-Jagodzinska, appeared in 2005 from Southword Editions. End of Part One: New & Selected Poems features generous selections from all of those books together with some 30 new poems in a section entitled ‘The Psychopathology of Everyday Life’. Gerry’s poetry has also come to life on the stage, with a stage adaptation by American playwright Roger Gregg at the Triskel Arts Centre, Cork.
Writing in The Irish Examiner about his 2010 book My Flirtation With International Socialism, poet Thomas McCarthy
described him as "indisputably the doyen of the post-Galvin Cork generations, Murphy is a thrilling and provocative master of poetic monologue and social commentary. His habit is to be elliptical in politics, to insert a political jibe or universal truth as adroitly as an assassin’s knife". Fred Johnston, writing in Poetry Ireland Review
, described Murphy's work as "catching the chink of light between the savagely political and the everyday"(Poetry Ireland Review, 2007).
Other poets cited as possible influences on Murphy's work include the American Charles Simic and the Romanian Marin Sorescu.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
.
Life & work
Gerry Murphy was born in Cork City in 1952. His work is witty, openly intellectual and often satirical and is "highly, self-consciously literary" (Poetry International Web). "Much of the most recent work displays intense absorption of the Roman classics either through direct reference or employment of the pithy epigram."(Poetry International Web)He attended University College Cork where he was part of a resurgence of literary activity under the inspiration of John Montague
John Montague
John Montague may refer to:*John Montague , Irish poet and writer*John Montague , baseball relief pitcher*John Montague , golfer and con man...
. Among his contemporaries, described by Thomas Dillon Redshaw as "that remarkable generation," there were Thomas McCarthy
Thomas McCarthy (poet)
Thomas McCarthy is an Irish poet, novelist, and critic, born in Cappoquin, Co. Waterford, Ireland. He attended University College Cork where he was part of a resurgence of literary activity under the inspiration of John Montague...
, William Wall
William Wall
William "Bill" Wall is an Irish novelist, poet and short story writer. He was born in Cork City in 1955, but grew up in the coastal village of Whitegate. He received his secondary education at the Christian Brothers School in Midleton. He progressed to University College Cork where he graduated in...
, Theo Dorgan
Theo Dorgan
Theo Dorgan is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He currently lives in Dublin.- Career :Dorgan's poetry collections are The Ordinary House of Love ; Rosa Mundi; and Sappho’s Daughter...
, Maurice Riordan
Maurice Riordan
Maurice Riordan is an Irish poet, translator, and editor. Born in Lisgoold, County Cork, Riordan has published three collections of poetry: A Word from the Loki , a largely London-based collection which was a Poetry Book Society Choice and shortlisted for the T. S...
, Greg Delanty
Greg Delanty
Greg Delanty is an Irish poet. He is artist-in-residence at St. Michael's College, and current President of the Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers....
and Sean Dunne
Seán Dunne (poet)
- Career :Dunne edited several anthologies, beginning with "The Poets of Munster" and finishing with the "Ireland Anthology" which was completed posthumously by George O'Brien and his partner Trish Edelstein. He released 3 collections of poems...
. He is a hugely popular reader of his own work. But “...what makes Murphy unique among his contemporaries,” according to John Montague in a brief foreword to the Selected volume, “is his curious integrity, the way he has created an aesthetic out of nearly nothing, ex nihilo.”
After dropping out of university in the early 1970s Murphy spent some years working in London and a year living in an Israeli Kibbutz before returning to Cork in 1980 where he has remained ever since. A champion swimmer, he has made his living primarily as a life guard and swimming pool manager.
Pocket Apocalypse, his translations of the Polish poet Katarzyna Borun-Jagodzinska, appeared in 2005 from Southword Editions. End of Part One: New & Selected Poems features generous selections from all of those books together with some 30 new poems in a section entitled ‘The Psychopathology of Everyday Life’. Gerry’s poetry has also come to life on the stage, with a stage adaptation by American playwright Roger Gregg at the Triskel Arts Centre, Cork.
Writing in The Irish Examiner about his 2010 book My Flirtation With International Socialism, poet Thomas McCarthy
Thomas McCarthy
Thomas McCarthy may refer to:*Thomas McCarthy , Irish poet*Thomas McCarthy , Quebec businessman and political figure*Thomas McCarthy , American actor, director and screenwriter...
described him as "indisputably the doyen of the post-Galvin Cork generations, Murphy is a thrilling and provocative master of poetic monologue and social commentary. His habit is to be elliptical in politics, to insert a political jibe or universal truth as adroitly as an assassin’s knife". Fred Johnston, writing in Poetry Ireland Review
Poetry Ireland Review
Poetry Ireland Review is a journal of Irish poetry published quarterly by Poetry Ireland, the national Irish poetry organization.Poetry Ireland Review publishes the work of both emerging and established Irish and international poets. In line with keeping the journal fresh, vibrant and progressive...
, described Murphy's work as "catching the chink of light between the savagely political and the everyday"(Poetry Ireland Review, 2007).
Other poets cited as possible influences on Murphy's work include the American Charles Simic and the Romanian Marin Sorescu.
Collections
- A Small Fat Boy Walking Backwards (Cork, Commons Press, 1988, Three Spires Press, 1992)
- Rio de la Plata and All That (Dublin, Dedalus, 1993)
- The Empty Quarter (Dedalus, 1995)
- Extracts from the Lost Log Book of Christopher Columbus (Dedalus, 1999)
- Torso of an Ex-Girlfriend (Dedalus, 2002)
- End of Part One, New and Selected Poems (Dedalus, 2006)
- My Flirtation With International Socialism (Dedalus, 2010)
Translation
- His translation of the Polish poet Katarzyna Borun-Jagodzinska was published as Pocket Apocalypse (Cork, Southword Editions, 2005).