Patrick A. McCarthy – författare

Although better known today for such classic and influential science fiction novels as Last and First Men, Odd John, Star Maker and Sirius, Olaf Stapledon also wrote eight other science fiction books, seven volumes of philosophy and social criticism, and hundreds of reviews, lectures, and articles. Common to all his works is a moral vision that is characterized by ecstatic joy and revolutionary zeal, though tempered by detachment and skepticism. This is the first book collection of original essays devoted entirely to Stapledon. Where previous critical interpretation has concentrated on individual works by the author, these essays deal with larger issues in Stapledon's writings and with his relationship to such forces as Marxism and literary modernism.The articles develop new avenues for the exploration of Stapledon's work, focusing on philosophical, linguistic, political, and structural elements, and showing how Stapledon's non-fictional writing may illuminate aspects of the fiction. In addition, the book includes Stapledon's hitherto unpublished manuscript Letters to the Future as well as a primary and secondary bibliography. An important contribution to the study of science fiction and fantasy, The Legacy of Olaf Stapledon will be of interest to scholars and students of Stapledon and of the genre.

While James Joyce was a central figure of high modernism, Malcom Lowry spoke for the next generation of modernist writers and, despite his denials, was almost certainly influenced by Joyce. Wherever the truth lies, there are correspondences and differences to be explored between Joyce and Lowry that are far more interesting than the question of direct influence. Despite numerous differences, their works have much in common: verbal richness, experimentation with narrative structure and perspective, a fascination with cultural and historical forces as well as with the process of artistic creation, and the inclusion of artist figures who are in varying degrees ironic self-portrayals.The contributors to Joyce/Lowry examine the relationship of these two expatriates writers, both to each other and to broader issues in the study of literary modernism and its aftermath. This collection embraces a variety of approaches. The volume begins with a consideration of Joyce and Lowry as practitioners of Expressionist art and concludes with an essay on John Huston's cinematic interpretation of works by both writers. In between are explorations of nationalism, anti-Semitism, syphilis, mental illness, and authorial design.

While James Joyce was a central figure of high modernism, Malcom Lowry spoke for the next generation of modernist writers and, despite his denials, was almost certainly influenced by Joyce. Wherever the truth lies, there are correspondences and differences to be explored between Joyce and Lowry that are far more interesting than the question of direct influence. Despite numerous differences, their works have much in common: verbal richness, experimentation with narrative structure and perspective, a fascination with cultural and historical forces as well as with the process of artistic creation, and the inclusion of artist figures who are in varying degrees ironic self-portrayals.The contributors to Joyce/Lowry examine the relationship of these two expatriates writers, both to each other and to broader issues in the study of literary modernism and its aftermath. This collection embraces a variety of approaches. The volume begins with a consideration of Joyce and Lowry as practitioners of Expressionist art and concludes with an essay on John Huston's cinematic interpretation of works by both writers. In between are explorations of nationalism, anti-Semitism, syphilis, mental illness, and authorial design.

Malcolm Lowry’s reputation as a novelist rests primarily on the masterpiece Under the Volcano. Lowry is also well known for what he did not write; that is, for his anguished inability to complete his works. Under the Volcano is one of only two novels published in Lowry’s lifetime; the bulk of his writings were still in various stages of composition when he died in 1957. In Forests of Symbols, Patrick A. McCarthy addresses the central enigma of the writer’s life: his dependence on writing for his sense of identity and his fear that the process of composition would leave him with no identity apart from his work.

Although Malcolm Lowry (1909-1957) published only two novels—Ultramarine and Under the Volcano—in his lifetime, numerous other works, most of which have since been edited for publication, were in various stages of composition at his death. La Mordida, the longest and most significant of the manuscripts that have not been previously published, is a draft of a novel based on Lowry's visit to Mexico in 1945–46, which ended in the arrest and deportation of Lowry and his wife following a nightmarish run-in with corrupt immigration authorities. On its most immediate level, the title La Mordida—which means "the little bite," Mexican slang for the small bribe that officials are apt to demand in order to expedite matters—refers to the autobiographical protagonist's legal difficulties. In a larger sense, however, it also represents his inability to escape his past, to repay the fine, or debt, that he owes.The central narrative of La Mordida involves a descent into the abyss of self, culminating in the protagonist's symbolic rebirth at the book's end. Lowry planned to use this basic narrative pattern as the springboard for innumerable questions about such concerns as art, identity, the nature of existence, political issues, and alcoholism. Above all, La Mordida was to have been a metafictional work about an author who sees no point in living events if he cannot write about them and who is not only unable to write but suspects that he is just a character in a novel.A reading of La Mordida in the context of Lowry's aesthetic theories and psychological problems shows why he dreaded the completion of his projects to such an extent that he called success a "horrible disaster" and compared death to "the accepted manuscript of one's life." The reason, La Mordida makes clear, lies partly in the aesthetic theories that led Lowry to attempt a book that he prophetically called "something never dreamed of before, a work of art so beyond conception it could not be written."Patrick A. McCarthy's edition of La Mordida is based on materials held in the Malcolm Lowry Archive at the University of British Columbia. Its publication provides essential evidence for a balanced assessment of Lowry's creative processes and his achievement as a writer.

Different Tongues (Why Children Code Switch?) is a valuable book that gives us answers to endless questions that we have as parents who wish to raise bilingual children: Will teaching the child two languages end up with the child not speaking any language clearly? What role do parents play in controlling their childrens code switching? When children switch languages when speaking, should this be seen as meaningful, insightful or not to be tolerated? Does where I live have an impact on how my children code switch? ; The father is the only one who speaks the minority language, is this enough input for the child to be brought up bilingually. These questions and many others that parents are faced with are discussed in this book. Actually, Different Tongues (Why Children Code Switch?) proved quite valuable to me when I began my own family. I was an Anglophone married to a French Quebecer and I lived in Quebec Canada, which is French. I was the only English speaking person in my childrens lives for the first five years of their lives, so I was not sure if bilingualism was feasible for our family since I spoke the minority language. In fact, this book has enabled me to understand how children learn two languages at the same time; how children may mix their languages in the early years, but soon after this stage, the child begins to code switch, within his two languages, in meaningful ways. Different Tongues (Why Children Code Switch?) gives a new perspective on childrens code switching in todays world. In the past, it was seen as inherently bad, whereas in this book, it shows how a child can now use code switching to more clearly transmit his language, as a contextualization tactic; and this is now seen as a clear advantage that the child possesses as compared to others who are not bilingual. In fact, this advantage is definitely a paradigm shift for todays parents when it comes to their childrens code switching.Patrick McCarthy has contributed to the literature on bilingual development by providing an excellent overview of issues surrounding code-switching in young children.As his book points out, code-switching is normal behavior in children exposed to two or more languages, as it is in adults. Parents and teachers will find useful information about childrens bilingual development in this book.Kirsten Hummel Professor Director in charge of the Bachelor of Teaching English Second LanguageUniversit Laval Qubec G1V 0A6