Irish Author Sebastian Barry Discusses His Book "Days Without End" at the Irish Arts Center

Sebastian Barry (b Ireland 1955) is an author, poet & playwright.  He's amongst an elite group of major Irish writers.  His literary honors are bountiful.  He's received the Man Booker & Costa Book of the Year (twice).  "Days without End" earned the Costa Award ('16).  This epic novel follows the journey of a young Irish lad, John Cole from Ireland to escape the famine to the US where he's orphaned & must fend for himself in during the brutal Civil War & the harsh western expansion.  The most trying of times is told through John's uneducated but pure voice.  His stark & lyrical descriptions harken unto Huck Finn; beautiful in its poetic candor.  John finds a companion his age, Thomas.  With Thomas by his side will take on an amazing journey through the savageries of slavery, war and the annihilation of the indigenous native Indian population.  Spliced throughout these unendurable times, John & Thomas will maintain a profound love & commitment.  The humanity of their love is juxtaposed against a harsh, cruel world. Together they form a family adopting a native Indian girl whose people John & Thomas were compelled to kill as soldiers or face treason.  Barry began his blarney by singing a short ballad.  It was a lovely & startling start for what was one of the most intimate & appealing conversations I've attended by authors.  Admittedly, I had some trouble deciphering him clearly.  But his humanity illuminated his talk.  Barry spoke of his love for his own family.  And, he spoke of his duress during his son's depression.  After Troy told his parents he was gay the shroud of darkness lifted and they were relieved.  Barry shared a very personal talk with the packed house at the IAC.  John's character in the novel was inspired by his son.  Barry deferred to his wife Ali in the audience several times in an endearing & jesting manner.  He reminisced about Troy & his twin sister as infants and how tortuous sleep deprivation was.  He said Ali had been up for several nights & he knew he was now on duty for the night.  He stood & mimed soothing a crying  infant.  "I held her away for a moment, she looked at me & vomited all over me.  When I got back to bed my wife Ali said {You're a good dad.  You never got angry.}  This memory has stayed with me."  He went on to say in writing Days without End I was writing about a family, John, Thomas & Winona the Indian girl they adopted and the former slaves who came to live & work with them on their farm.   This was not a conventional family but a family is made by choosing to love & care for one another.  Sebastian Barry's novel Days without End reads like a heroic poem through very traumatic, historical events.  Listening to the Barry's blarney broque broke my heart with tenderness.