Mary Dorcey Life Holds Its Breath

Mary Dorcey reads from her most recent Salmon Poetry collection Life Holds Its Breath. 

 

Mary Dorcey is a critically acclaimed Irish poet, short story writer and novelist. She was awarded The Rooney Prize for Irish Literature in 1990 for her short story collection, A Noise from the Woodshed. She is the author of the bestselling novel A Biography of Desire and is an elected member of the Irish Academy of Arts and Letters, Aosdána. Life Holds Its Breath is her tenth book.

One of her major themes is the love between mother and daughter and the life-long, shape-shifting journey she records between these two has produced some of her most loved poetry.

The first Irish woman in history to advocate in speech and writing for LGBT rights, she was a founding member of 'Irish Women United', 'The Sexual Liberation Movement' and 'Women for Radical Change.' Her subject matter has been recognized for its radicalism and her style for its elegance and sensuality.