J. P. Donleavy
Encyclopedia
James Patrick Donleavy is an Irish American
author
, born to Irish immigrants. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II
after which he moved to Ireland
. In 1946 he began studies at Trinity College, Dublin
, but left before taking a degree. He was first published in the Dublin literary periodical, Envoy
.
Donleavy gained critical acclaim with his first novel, The Ginger Man
, which is one of the Modern Library
100 best novels. Correctly or incorrectly, his initial works are sometimes grouped with the Kitchen Sink
artists as well as the Angry young men
. Though not in the Beat tradition (while overlapping with it), Donleavy's The Ginger Man is often compared to Jack Kerouac's On the Road in that, just as Kerouac based his central character of Dean Moriarty on Neal Cassady, Donleavy based his central character Sebastian Dangerfield on fellow American emigre in Dublin, Gainor Crist.
, near the town of Mullingar in County Westmeath
. He received his education at various schools in the US and from Trinity College, Dublin, 1946-49.
Donleavy married Valerie Heron in 1946 and had two children with her: Philip, born in 1951, and Karen, born in 1955. They divorced in 1969. He married again in 1970 to Mary Wilson Price and they divorced in 1989.
He has acquired Irish citizenship.
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, born to Irish immigrants. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
after which he moved to Ireland
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...
. In 1946 he began studies at Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, but left before taking a degree. He was first published in the Dublin literary periodical, Envoy
Envoy, A Review of Literature and Art
December 1949- July 1951. Dublin, Ireland. Editor & Founder: John RyanDuring its brief existence, Envoy, A Review of Literature and Art, published the work of a broad range of writers, Irish and others. The first to publish J. P...
.
Donleavy gained critical acclaim with his first novel, The Ginger Man
The Ginger Man
The Ginger Man is a 1955 novel by J. P. Donleavy.First published in Paris, the novel is set in Dublin, Ireland, in post war 1947. Upon its publication, it was banned in the Republic of Ireland and the United States of America for obscenity....
, which is one of the Modern Library
Modern Library
The Modern Library is a publishing company. Founded in 1917 by Albert Boni and Horace Liveright as an imprint of their publishing company Boni & Liveright, it was purchased in 1925 by Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer...
100 best novels. Correctly or incorrectly, his initial works are sometimes grouped with the Kitchen Sink
Kitchen sink realism
Kitchen sink realism is a term coined to describe a British cultural movement which developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in theatre, art, novels, film and television plays, whose 'heroes' usually could be described as angry young men...
artists as well as the Angry young men
Angry young men
The "angry young men" were a group of mostly working and middle class British playwrights and novelists who became prominent in the 1950s. The group's leading members included John Osborne and Kingsley Amis.The phrase was originally coined by the Royal Court Theatre's press officer to promote John...
. Though not in the Beat tradition (while overlapping with it), Donleavy's The Ginger Man is often compared to Jack Kerouac's On the Road in that, just as Kerouac based his central character of Dean Moriarty on Neal Cassady, Donleavy based his central character Sebastian Dangerfield on fellow American emigre in Dublin, Gainor Crist.
Personal life
Donleavy lives at Levington Park, a country house on 200 acre (0.809372 km²) directly on Lough OwelLough Owel
Lough Owel is a lough in the Midlands of Ireland, situated north of Mullingar, the county town of Westmeath. It is a deep lake, well known amongst anglers, and holds a few char along with brown trout. Water from Lough Owel feeds the Royal Canal, a canal crossing Ireland from Dublin to the River...
, near the town of Mullingar in County Westmeath
County Westmeath
-Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar...
. He received his education at various schools in the US and from Trinity College, Dublin, 1946-49.
Donleavy married Valerie Heron in 1946 and had two children with her: Philip, born in 1951, and Karen, born in 1955. They divorced in 1969. He married again in 1970 to Mary Wilson Price and they divorced in 1989.
He has acquired Irish citizenship.
External links
- JPDonleavyCompendium.org
- "The Ginger Man in Dublin", Totally Gonzo, June 17 2008
- "Tea & Scones & Darcy Dancer: The Making of An Irish Gentleman An Interview with J.P. Donleavy", Bloomsbury Review, E. Thomas Wood, January/February 1992
- "J.P. Donleavy", Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2010.
- "A singular man: J P Donleavy on his fascinating life since The Ginger Man" John McEntee, The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, 5 August 2010