Early Deane : Essays on Irish Literature, Culture and Politics by Seamus Deane - Stephen Rea

Seamus Deane combined academic rigour with an expressive style that was characterised by both passion and�commitment. Without losing any scholarly precision or acuity, he succeeded in engaging broader audiences in some of the key debates of his�time. These included: the role of culture in creating political structures and conflict; the responsibility of artists, particularly writers, to articulate alternatives; and the need to think beyond Northern Ireland's political stalemate and imagine a New Ireland. This essential book brings together for the first time Deane's early writings�and demonstrates his continuing relevance. It shows his mastery of Irish literature and the�striking originality of his readings of canonical texts as well as of contemporary writers. It will delight all those already familiar with Deane's unique voice, while also engaging a fresh generation of readers who will encounter here one of the great literary stylists of the island of Ireland.