The Full Shilling

This second memoir by James Liddy (The Doctor's House, 2004) takes a different perspective, exploring the world of Liddy's parents and their friends in mid-twentieth century Ireland. He presents an extensive gallery of portraits of those he knew in Ireland and the U.S. including his peers at University College Dublin and many senior American writers and literary figures. The memoir, unusually (in keeping with Liddy's eccentric style) includes short stories set in the years of his growing up in Ireland. The effect is personal, exhilarating and definitely more than nostalgic. For over 20 years, James Liddy lived in Milwaukee where he was a Professor in the English Department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and taught creative writing, and Irish and Beat literature. He died at his home in the U.S. on November 4th. 2008 after a short illness.