I write essays, fiction, poetry and all kinds of in-between hybrids. I also write articles, art-writing, and interviews. A lot of my art projects are also text based, so if you have an interest in my writing, I would advise also looking in those sections (Art, and Work (2016-2022). If you have a professional interest in my writing and there is something listed here that is not available to read online, please do get in touch.
2021
Between the Lights/For You Only We Exist’ poetic text written by automatic writing with ghosts in my house, in publication for The Body Electric exhibition. inspired by the theosophical beliefs of AE. Russell, whose painting ‘The Sower’, is included in the show. More info here, including further audio works, photo, and interview.(Now offline, please contact for a copy).
My essay ‘All Stops to the Point’, on liminal lives in East Wall, Dublin, is included in ‘Some Good Will Come’ anthology by Fallowmedia. Available to buy here.
Essay Losing the Branches on buried histories in Phibsboro, Dublin City, in next issue of Architecture Ireland magazine. Read online - (issue 319).
Texts in accompanying publication ‘Tools for Well Being’ for Barbara Knežević exhibition ‘Pleasure’scapes’ in RHA gallery. Book is available from the RHA gallery. The poems are created from interests I have in common with the artist, - the classical world, divination, transmutation, and interests of my own - medical history and the queer potentiality of voice.
2020
Text for Bryony Dunne’s ‘Killing the Messenger’ film, on mythology, birds, surveillance, and climate change. Text can be read here. This is part of aemi online.
Paradise Isle short story, published in conjunction with ‘On Chorus’ sound project by Chris Steenson. The story is a speculative fiction taking part in Dublin city centre, in particular at the Blessington Basin, a small duck pond. The protagonist follows the impulse to take a voyage to the island at the centre. Chris Steenson’s audio work involves field recordings taken along the Royal Canal in the nearby area during the Covid lockdown in 2020, when traffic was much quieter. The resulting recordings of the dawn chorus were played through speakers at train stations countrywide for two weeks. The audio can still be listened to online between 8 and 9 am daily. The short story can be read here.
Accompanying poetry for Mark Garry’s ‘Songs and the Soil’ exhibition, in the Mac Gallery Belfast. Text can be downloaded here and seen here. The poems were made from text taken from reviews on amazon for nature based recordings to aid relaxation. Titles include 'Sleep to Rain’, ‘White Noise Forest’, 1 hr of Relaxing Landscape Music, and ‘Gentle Thunder for Relax, Study, Sleep’.
2019
Birds, Watching, creative nonfiction essay in Issue 5 of Winter Papers Annual Arts Anthology, edited by Olivia Smith and Kevin Barry. Available in print only. More information on Winter Papers Issue 5 here. Essay is an exploration of death, grief, wildlife rescue, birds, city centre Dublin and mysticism. Also associated exhibition in Engage Studios, info here.
Interview with Atoosa Pour Housseni on her work, Visual Artists News Sheet, Sept/Oct issue, info on edition here.
Ingrowth, poetic text for Lucy Andrews, accompanying publication for ‘And the days run away like wild horses over the hills’ exhibition, Scoil Lorcain, Seapoint Dublin.
Posts from Within, essay for Wexford Arts Office, for upcoming publication in relation to the Bypass Percent Scheme for Arts. The essay is about ‘Dispatch’, an art project that was part of the scheme, but also about rural development and belonging.
2018
Line-n, commissioned poetic texts by Alice Butler for ‘New Spaces’ art project with VAI Northern Ireland. The texts were written for and installed in Sion Mills linen museum, Co.Tyrone. The poems refer to the history of linen production, ancient history, economic globalisation.
Eye of the Round, essay for Maria McKinney art catalogue of ‘Sire’, RHA Gallery. Essay on cattle, mythology, science fiction, human/non—human genetics.
Review of Bassam Al-Sabah exhibition ‘Illusions of Love Dyed by Sunset’ at the Lab Gallery, published in Circa Art Magazine, here.
2017
The Roaming Edges, part of ‘Response to a Request’ art project by Rebecca O’Dwyer. Each invitee is asked to write a piece in response to an image of their choice. This essay responds to a Josef Koudelka photograph, but also discusses black dogs in folklore, omens, Tarkovsky, uncanny landscapes and Bruegel.
Article on Resort Revelations residency program in Portrane, writing on the various participants and artworks that formed part of this year's event. Article in Visual Artists Ireland News Sheet, Jan-Feb issue, edited by Joanne Laws.
2016
Writing on Maria McKinney's show Sire at the RHA Gallery Dublin, for Circa magazine, 2016. Article can be read here.
Who Will Silence Them at Last?, commissioned prose piece for Resort Revelations residency program in Portrane, Fingal County Council 2016. Drawing on fragments of text from Beckett's short story Fingal as well as an unsent letter from St. Ita's Psychiatric Hospital in 1912. Piece can be read on the event poster, here.
The Skin Between Us, poetic text/voice as response to Alice Maher work The Diviner, available to hear/read on Fallowmedia here.
In the Bird Temple, short story in Critical Bastards Issue 12, info on suppliers here.
2015
All Stops to the Point, An East Wall Story - an essay (with photographs) on gentrification, liminality and eviction in East Wall, as well as a poetic musing on the area. Text can be read at Fallowmedia.
Your Form in my Future, a short story - included in TOOLAND JOHANN ROLAND BRENDA MARTIN PHILIP PUCK NICKO & YOU by Karina Beumer, an artist based in Antwerp, Belgium. Publication can be found here.
Symptoms of the Subterranean - a literary essay in Gorse journal, issue 4, September 2015.
Excerpt here.
Buy Gorse here.
Short piece on launch of Issue 4 here.
Creatures of Habitat, a creative response to Fieldworks- Animal Habitats in Contemporary Art in the Glucksman Gallery, Cork. Published in Issue 3 of Colony online magazine, which can be read here. * Colony now appears offline for the foreseeable future, so will archive the article here instead for now.
The Last of Our Kind, a piece of writing for the Visual Verse project, responding to an image by Rhona Byrne can be read here.
Essay on the work of artist Roisin Mcnamee available here.
Essay in forthcoming publication for Catalyst Gallery Belfast, on Fix Festival 2013. Will archive here presently.
Article in Issue of Cult magazine autumn issue 2013 (a light piece on the idea of fiction that is 'over-rated) - the work of Terry Pratchett).
The Sun and All its Eyes - philosophy/literary style paper for Radical Love conference, 2010, available as part of event publication here.
Always welcome to invitations to write about projects and artists where it is an appropriate fit.
Critical Bastards
Writing in 4-9 (and 11) issues Critical Bastards magazine, a small Irish/Northern Irish creative art criticism publication. All issues (1-11) available for downloading here, or else click on text under each cover image below, for link to individual issues.
Issue 11 was up until recently only available in print, but now can be downloaded here.
I am also involved as an editor on the magazine, editing in particular on Issue 9, 10 and 11 (Issue 10 appeared in an audio format). The magazine was started by Iain Griffin and Sarah Gordon in Belfast and continues to keep a connection to the founders. Critical Bastards is a continued experiment in critical writing, involving many writers and artists, and manifests in a 'fanzine' style.
The magazine has published writings from writers in the past including Ben Woodard, Francis Halsall, Rebecca O'Dwyer, Michaele Cutaya, and many others in the art and art-writing community.
