Encyclopedia, Difference between revisions of "Frank O'Connor" - New World

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From the 1930s to the 1960s he was a prolific writer of short stories, poems, plays, and novellas.  His work as an Irish teacher complemented his numerous translations into English of Irish poetry, including his initially banned translation of [[Brian Merriman|Cúirt an Mheán Oíche]]. Many of O'Connor's writings were based on his own life experiences — his character Larry Delaney in particular.
 
From the 1930s to the 1960s he was a prolific writer of short stories, poems, plays, and novellas.  His work as an Irish teacher complemented his numerous translations into English of Irish poetry, including his initially banned translation of [[Brian Merriman|Cúirt an Mheán Oíche]]. Many of O'Connor's writings were based on his own life experiences — his character Larry Delaney in particular.
  
 +
==Oedipus Complex==
 +
Michael O'Donovan was of Irish blood, and in the Irish culture, it was common to have a stronger bond with the mother than the father.  Micahel O' Donovan's life is the epitome of this statement.  In fact, O'Donovan had a great hatred for his father, and it was only suppressed because it enraged his mother.  His pen name was O'Connor particularly because O'Connor was her mother's maiden name (Minnie O'Connor).  Furthermore, many have speculated that Frank's bond with his mother hindered many of his sexual relationships as a teenager, and possibly may have destroyed his first marriage.
 
==Timeline==
 
==Timeline==
 
Michael Francis O'Donovan was born on September 17, 1903 in Cork.  In 1914, he attended St. Patrick's National School under tutelate of Corkery.  Four years later, he joined the First Brigade of the Irish Republican Army. Frank O'Connor did an assortment of occupations.  In 1923, O'Connor was imprisoned in the Gormanstown Internment Camp.  The next four years saw him as a teacher of the Irish language in rural schools, a librarian in Sligo, Wicklow, and Cork, and an essayist whose work appeared in the Irish Statesmen.  In 1931, Mr. O'Donovan switched over completely to Frank O'Connor, and went from a businessmen to a full time writer.  This is when his first volume of stories were produced, specifically, "Guests of the Nation."  In 1932, he published his first novel, ''The Saint and Mary Kate'', and first translations of Irish poetry, Wild Bird's Nest (Cuala).  He was apponted to the Board of Directors of the Abbey Theatre in 1935 and produced "Three Old Brothers," and "Bones of Contention," in the following year. In 1937, he made his first broadcast on Radio Eireann.  In the same year, he was made Managing Director of the Abbey.  He worked with Hugh Hunt to produce "In the Train" and "The Invincibles."  He also wrote "The Big Fellow".  In 1938, he was married to Evelyn Bowen Speaight.  The next year he was forced to resign from the Board of Directors of the Abbey Theatre after the death of Yeats. In 1941 he produced, "The Statue's Daughter," at the Gate Theatre and began working with the BBC in London.  Many of his stories, like "Midnight Court," were later banned.  After a ten year marraige, O'Connor separated from his wife in 1948.  At the age of 48, he became a teacher at Northwester University and Harvard. Pain plagued him in 1952 with the death of his mother and the official divorce from his wife.  However, 1953 began to shine brightly on Frank as he produced his, "The Stories of Frank O'Connor," and married Harriet Rich.  He continued to write throughout the remainder of his life and "An Only Child," was the prime example of memoir writing, or the writing of one's own experiences.  He suffered a stroke while teaching at Stanford in 1961 and thus returned to Ireland.  In 1962, he was awarded the D. Litt. from Trinity College, Dublin.  Frank O'Connor, or Michael O'Donovan at birth, died on March 10, 1966 in Dublin.  He was buried in Dean's Grange Cemetry on March 12.
 
Michael Francis O'Donovan was born on September 17, 1903 in Cork.  In 1914, he attended St. Patrick's National School under tutelate of Corkery.  Four years later, he joined the First Brigade of the Irish Republican Army. Frank O'Connor did an assortment of occupations.  In 1923, O'Connor was imprisoned in the Gormanstown Internment Camp.  The next four years saw him as a teacher of the Irish language in rural schools, a librarian in Sligo, Wicklow, and Cork, and an essayist whose work appeared in the Irish Statesmen.  In 1931, Mr. O'Donovan switched over completely to Frank O'Connor, and went from a businessmen to a full time writer.  This is when his first volume of stories were produced, specifically, "Guests of the Nation."  In 1932, he published his first novel, ''The Saint and Mary Kate'', and first translations of Irish poetry, Wild Bird's Nest (Cuala).  He was apponted to the Board of Directors of the Abbey Theatre in 1935 and produced "Three Old Brothers," and "Bones of Contention," in the following year. In 1937, he made his first broadcast on Radio Eireann.  In the same year, he was made Managing Director of the Abbey.  He worked with Hugh Hunt to produce "In the Train" and "The Invincibles."  He also wrote "The Big Fellow".  In 1938, he was married to Evelyn Bowen Speaight.  The next year he was forced to resign from the Board of Directors of the Abbey Theatre after the death of Yeats. In 1941 he produced, "The Statue's Daughter," at the Gate Theatre and began working with the BBC in London.  Many of his stories, like "Midnight Court," were later banned.  After a ten year marraige, O'Connor separated from his wife in 1948.  At the age of 48, he became a teacher at Northwester University and Harvard. Pain plagued him in 1952 with the death of his mother and the official divorce from his wife.  However, 1953 began to shine brightly on Frank as he produced his, "The Stories of Frank O'Connor," and married Harriet Rich.  He continued to write throughout the remainder of his life and "An Only Child," was the prime example of memoir writing, or the writing of one's own experiences.  He suffered a stroke while teaching at Stanford in 1961 and thus returned to Ireland.  In 1962, he was awarded the D. Litt. from Trinity College, Dublin.  Frank O'Connor, or Michael O'Donovan at birth, died on March 10, 1966 in Dublin.  He was buried in Dean's Grange Cemetry on March 12.
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==Legacy==
  
  
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and others collected in: ''O'Connor's Collected Stories'', edited by Richard Ellmann (1981)
 
and others collected in: ''O'Connor's Collected Stories'', edited by Richard Ellmann (1981)
  
==Legacy==
+
 
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
 
* [http://www.wiu.edu/users/muvck/franko.htm Biography]
 
* [http://www.wiu.edu/users/muvck/franko.htm Biography]

Revision as of 20:55, 2 July 2007


'Frank O’Connor'
(born
Michael Francis O'Connor O'Donovan)
Born: September 17,1903
Flag of Republic of Ireland Cork City, Ireland
Died: March 10, 1966
Flag of Republic of Ireland Dublin, Ireland
Occupation(s): Short story writer, playwright
Nationality: Irish
Influences: Anton Chekhov
Influenced: Colm Toibin, Julian Barnes


Frank O’Connor (born Michael Francis O'Connor O'Donovan) (September 17, 1903 – March 10, 1966) was an Irish author of over 150 works, who was best known for his short stories and books of memoirs. Born an only child in Cork (city, Ireland, to Minnie O'Connor and Michael O'Donovan, his early life was marked by his father's alcoholism, indebtness and ill-treatment of his mother.

Childhood

Frank O'Connor was raised in an extremely chaotic environment in which his only refuge was his mother, Minnie. While his father was an addicted drunkard who could not refrain from exceeding all credit limits, O'Connor's mother took full responsibility of the household and supported the family single-handedly. In addition, O'Connor's father berated him with derogatory comments toward his masculinity. His father found it outlandish that instead of wrestling, Frank preferred to read. As a result, O'Connor's writing is scarred with the stains of his tumultuous childhood.

Life

He has recounted the early years of his life in one of his best books An Only Child, a memoir not published until 1961, but which had the immediacy of a precocious diary. His childhood was shaped in part by his saintly mother, who supplied much of the family's income because his father was unable to keep steady employment due to his drunkenness. In fact, writing and books were his safe haven from the terrifying family life he was forced to endure. In the process, O'Connor successfully taught himself French and German, which reaped great rewards for him as he would go on to write over 150 short stories.

In 1918 he joined the First Brigade of the Irish Republican Army in its resistance to British rule. He opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 and took the Anti-Treaty side in the ensuing Irish Civil War. He worked in a small propoganda unit in Cork City. O'Connor was subsequently among the twelve thousand anti-Treaty Irish Republicans who were interned by the nascent Irish Free State forces. He was imprisoned in the Gormanstown camp between 1922 and 1923. Following the war, the polyglot O'Connor took various positions including that of Irish teacher and librarian. He was perhaps Ireland's most complete man of letters, best known for his varied and comprehensive short stories but also for his work as a noble literary critic, essayist, travel writer, translator and biographer.

From the 1930s to the 1960s he was a prolific writer of short stories, poems, plays, and novellas. His work as an Irish teacher complemented his numerous translations into English of Irish poetry, including his initially banned translation of Cúirt an Mheán Oíche. Many of O'Connor's writings were based on his own life experiences — his character Larry Delaney in particular.

Oedipus Complex

Michael O'Donovan was of Irish blood, and in the Irish culture, it was common to have a stronger bond with the mother than the father. Micahel O' Donovan's life is the epitome of this statement. In fact, O'Donovan had a great hatred for his father, and it was only suppressed because it enraged his mother. His pen name was O'Connor particularly because O'Connor was her mother's maiden name (Minnie O'Connor). Furthermore, many have speculated that Frank's bond with his mother hindered many of his sexual relationships as a teenager, and possibly may have destroyed his first marriage.

Timeline

Michael Francis O'Donovan was born on September 17, 1903 in Cork. In 1914, he attended St. Patrick's National School under tutelate of Corkery. Four years later, he joined the First Brigade of the Irish Republican Army. Frank O'Connor did an assortment of occupations. In 1923, O'Connor was imprisoned in the Gormanstown Internment Camp. The next four years saw him as a teacher of the Irish language in rural schools, a librarian in Sligo, Wicklow, and Cork, and an essayist whose work appeared in the Irish Statesmen. In 1931, Mr. O'Donovan switched over completely to Frank O'Connor, and went from a businessmen to a full time writer. This is when his first volume of stories were produced, specifically, "Guests of the Nation." In 1932, he published his first novel, The Saint and Mary Kate, and first translations of Irish poetry, Wild Bird's Nest (Cuala). He was apponted to the Board of Directors of the Abbey Theatre in 1935 and produced "Three Old Brothers," and "Bones of Contention," in the following year. In 1937, he made his first broadcast on Radio Eireann. In the same year, he was made Managing Director of the Abbey. He worked with Hugh Hunt to produce "In the Train" and "The Invincibles." He also wrote "The Big Fellow". In 1938, he was married to Evelyn Bowen Speaight. The next year he was forced to resign from the Board of Directors of the Abbey Theatre after the death of Yeats. In 1941 he produced, "The Statue's Daughter," at the Gate Theatre and began working with the BBC in London. Many of his stories, like "Midnight Court," were later banned. After a ten year marraige, O'Connor separated from his wife in 1948. At the age of 48, he became a teacher at Northwester University and Harvard. Pain plagued him in 1952 with the death of his mother and the official divorce from his wife. However, 1953 began to shine brightly on Frank as he produced his, "The Stories of Frank O'Connor," and married Harriet Rich. He continued to write throughout the remainder of his life and "An Only Child," was the prime example of memoir writing, or the writing of one's own experiences. He suffered a stroke while teaching at Stanford in 1961 and thus returned to Ireland. In 1962, he was awarded the D. Litt. from Trinity College, Dublin. Frank O'Connor, or Michael O'Donovan at birth, died on March 10, 1966 in Dublin. He was buried in Dean's Grange Cemetry on March 12.

Legacy

Works

  • Guests of the Nation
  • My Oedipus Complex
  • First Confession
  • An Only Child
  • The Bridal Night
  • The Luceys
  • The Long Road to Ummera
  • The Big Fellow (biography of Michael Collins)
  • The Drunkard

and others collected in: O'Connor's Collected Stories, edited by Richard Ellmann (1981)


External links

Credits

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