New Releases by John OBrien

I was raised on songs and stories; the hardships of my people are ingrained in my armor, and in my writing. When I was 14, I went to Ireland for the 1st time. Sitting in the back seat of a little car, knees sideways, yet still jammed into the seat in front of me, I sat stunned as I watched tanks roll, five-year olds throw rocks at them, and barbed wire fences two stories high cut through, and wrap around neighborhoods; the criteria for cages was religion. The Lyrics of Irish Freedom tells the story and the history behind rebellious bard and ballad, from the beginning of Irish time. The songs linger in our psyche, not just across generations, but across centuries. Who took the battlefields of 1798, 1803, 1916, 1981, and why? Who wrote their song, and why? Tall tales, truth stranger than fiction; the days, demons and dreams, the Lyrics of Irish Freedom, are within.

This book is a book of poetic verse from when about I first started to the present beginning of this decade. It attempts both to show my progression as an artist & the changes I have gone through as reflected in the work. From 1977-1980 is some beginning verse then when I move into the decade of the 80''s, I picked a poem to represent that year, how it was for me. It is a completely new approach to introduce readers to a new writer by demonstrating all the work(s) which go before actual 1st publication of any writing by authors of any kind. I perform my work in Chicago combined with improvising new techniques, & styles at open mikes to add something from page to performance. I''ve done one solo show circa 1984, & regular Valentine''s Day reading on Feb. 14th for 4 years (since ''87) plus my 1st big event was reading at Chicago Peace & Music Festival for 1990.