Death of David Marcus.

[Christine Murray]

I just heard the RTE.ie report announcing the death of David Marcus:

RTÉ News: Literary editor David Marcus dies

Thus a short appreciation, though my area would not be the short story.

He was also an editor of Poetry Ireland (now PIR) ,

This is the PIR Archives and Translations page :

Poetry Ireland | Publications

and now they have developed the tech into both forum and Twitter, as well as having an excellent
Tangled Web literary Resources Page, upon which my bloggie appears.

Thats the thing with small concerns like PIR/éigse éireann there's a huge bespoke industry working
on many levels of writing, including some of the world's best publishers and translators- Hugh Maxton,
Umberto Fiori, N Chuilleanin (amongst others), whose work in European literature and poetry
really is outstanding. It was people like Marcus who confessed to just quitting for thirty years who
Made writers- like Lavin, Enright, Toibin and Mc Gahern.

All of them an absolute joy to read. Thus for those amongst us who like to read Good Irish Short Stories ,
I highly recommend the opus of Lavin and Mc Gahern (if the telly can be switched off a while). I really Like
In a cafe and The Patriot Son by Lavin and The Collected McGahern.

Catalogue here :

David Editor Marcus books on Naughton Booksellers

For people interested in excellent poetic translations:

Between, by Agnes Nemes Nagy, trans Hugh Maxton, Corvina Press (Budapest) and Dedalus (Dublin).

Obituary: John McGahern | Books | The Guardian

[cactusflower]

Sorry he's dead.

[Christine Murray]

Sorry he's dead.

So am I, I appreciate workhorses and behind the scenes people.

He lifted the Irish Short Story out of the morass and as I always say a good editor is as important as the
writers he/she works with.


John Calder was another genius as was Eliot for Faber and Faber.

[Ulster-Lad]

He will be missed in many of the diverse communities of literary Ireland.

[savlanut]

What a gift New Irish Writing in The Irish Press was during those lean years!
May his memory be a blessing.

[Christine Murray]

What a gift New Irish Writing in The Irish Press was during those lean years!
May his memory be a blessing.

Interesting, I was looking through the catalogues I included in here and he published Patrick Colum
(He of The Poet's Circuits) which I have recommended to countless writers. I suppose in terms
of his scope and talent he was one of the greats, along with Peter Fallon from the Gallery Press
(a highly talented translator, publisher and writer).

it's truly amazing the reach that these editors had in terms of the works brought to countless
people who may never have known some of those writers.

We really did and do have a network of presses, bookshops and festivals that are utterly
brilliant- save for the political intrusions and cuts by Martin Cullen..


(but that is not for this thread and is actually on another thread anyway)

RIP David Marcus.

[macdarawhitfield]

Really sorry to hear this.I loved his autobiography and translations.He did a version of the Midnight Court ,I think.

[Christine Murray]

Really sorry to hear this.I loved his autobiography and translations.He did a version of the Midnight Court ,I think.

God you are right! I shalt have to dust down my Library. I have not looked at which translation I have!!!!

Here's a linkie :Irish Literature in Translation - The Midnight Court and other poems by Brian Merriman

[chiarraigrrl]

I was really sorry to hear this. Thoroughly enjoyed his autobiographies. He'll be missed...

[jerryp]

R.I.P. He was a bright beacon in dark days.
His brother , Louis, was a film maker and made the famous films " Peil " and " Christy Ring " for , I think, Gael Linn in the 60's.
Both brothers, Jewish, attended Glasheen National School ( Catholic ) in Cork. One of them ( don't know which one ) told a story on RTE radio one day of how, during the 30's ( near Easter or Christmas ) when news of Hitler's campaign against the Jews was reaching them, there was a knock at the school door. The teacher asked young Marcus to go and see who it was. It was the local priest , who when asked by the boy what he wanted, said he had come for the Dues .