Most people know the Dubliners’ version of “Song for Ireland,” but the one I grew up with was the one by Mary Black. Dad and I went through a big Mary Black phase in the 90s. The Celtic Tiger was in full swing, so there was lots of traditional music coming out of Ireland. Dad […]| monica byrne
If you’re a paid subscriber to my Wordpress and would like to read this post, shoot me an email here, and I’ll forward it to you by email. Wordpress is incredibly bad at formatting list…| monica byrne
Meet Willow, my charge for two happy weeks on the Wicklow coast. (Well, it was a stressful time, but she made it happy.) Willow is a Jack Russell terrier–a breed famous for their bottomless e…| monica byrne
I’m writing to you from the canteen at my new campus, ATU-Sligo, which is just lovely–brand-new, full of light and sea air. I wanted to come here to have a look around now that moving l…| monica byrne
If you’ve seen Sinners, this phrase may tickle your memory. It’s the name of a traditional Irish jig, sung by the lead vampire–Remmick, an Irishman–in a particularly eerie scene late in the film. I finally got to see Sinners on my first day in Dublin. I’d had a terrible day and needed to jar myself […]| monica byrne
I got some really good news last week:| monica byrne
I’m finally back in Ireland. I’m so happy to be here. If I had any worries about feeling out of place or missing the road too much, I don’t have them now. This just feels like home, at least for the time being. And I’m thanking God every day for the profusion of foods I […]| monica byrne
{ public post } Istanbul says hello. This is the city I’ve most wanted to see in the whole world, so before I move to Ireland, I’m spending six days here for a birthday vacation. Today I went to see the stunning Basilica Cistern, seen above—where I stood for long quiet moments and composed these […]| monica byrne
Hello all! I’m only in Mongolia a week more before I make a go of it in Ireland, where cost of living will be significantly higher. With that in mind, for the next TEN people who upgrade to a paid pledge of $5/mo or more, I’m offering a postcard from Mongolia as a sign-up bonus! […]| monica byrne
There’s quite a lot going on in the world right now, but God knows you all know how I feel about it. So for this month’s postcard, I hope you forgive me for writing about something very trivial…..(or is it?). My “innocent question” is: Should I dye my grey hair before I go back to […]| monica byrne
I’ve landed safely in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, where I’ll be spending the next five weeks. Why am I here? Three reasons. 1. After sweltering summers in Greece and Taiwan, I wanted to spen…| monica byrne
novelist . playwright . screenwriter| monica byrne
Greetings from cold, stormy Tokyo! In the last few minutes, there’ve been two lightning strikes so close, the thunderclap made me jump in my seat. Wheee! It’s poignant being here, because the first…| monica byrne
So remember how I spent March in a frenzy, applying to a gazillion things and making myself sick in the process? I’ve been relatively quiet this month, because I’ve gotten new informati…| monica byrne
I keep a spreadsheet of all the places I stay so that, in case of an emergency, my family knows exactly where I am (or am supposed to be). This has the nifty side effect of being able to see exactl…| monica byrne
This month has involved quite a lot of travel. That requires a lot of planning under any circumstance. But I’ve been dealing with pain and neuropathy all month, too, and Dr. Hùng said I have …| monica byrne
~ public post ~ During Covid lockdown, my comfort watch was Bourdain shows. I couldn’t travel anywhere, so I liked to fantasize that I could travel everywhere. Bourdain loved Vietnam. He filmed eig…| monica byrne
Writer living on the road. Author of The Girl in the Road, What Every Girl Should Know, and The Actual Star.| monica byrne
I’ve been sitting on this for a long time, and am so excited to finally share: I’M TEACHING A CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP! Online! In partnership with Night School Bar in Durham! If you’re not …| monica byrne
