Margo Shea

 I don't write a lot of poetry but sometimes it feels right.

 I am so pleased to have connected with the LAVA Arts Center/ECHO Greenfield history makers.  I met with them over the summer and then had a "redo" of that talk on Zoom last week.  Here is the talk! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7SvehK1Lgw

 Book Review of Derry City My book was reviewed and that is always good news! You may read the review, published in the Public Historian i and written by postgraduate researcher Naomi Petropoulos here .

 It was such a pleasure to talk with Ryan Shelton of New Books Network about my book, Derry City.   I've linked to the interview here . Enjoy! For a 40% off coupon and free shipping, enter (type, don't copy and paste) the promo code 14AHA22 . This offer is good for both print and ebooks, but it is only available through January 31st, 2022 .  

 My mom loved St. Patrick's Day. The retinue of "deedle-lee-dee" gave her great joy. At some point in the week leading up to the holiday, there would be singing in person or over the phone, depending on where I lived.  Her favorite song was "McNamara's Band" and she would giggle every time " Henessee Tennessee tootles the flute" was sung in the chorus.  She also loved that classic of Irish America, which has grown on me over the years, " If you're Irish come into the parlour." (In this version by the Irish Rovers, the two songs are played together.)   I hated it when I was younger for the clippy-clappiness of it.  Now, older and having lost my mom, there is something about the "big songs" of the Irish American songbook that cheer and ground me. I miss her "welcome mat" and the song, for a moment, returns it to me. When I spend time with my father these days, it is in a car.  We go for drives on Sundays a couple t...

 Last month, I had the pleasure of joining a panel hosted by Dan Lipcan of the Phillips Library and moderated by public historian Kristin Harris about the legacies of the Salem Witch Trials.  There are many events in Salem around Halloween that invoke, in one way or another, the witch hysteria that tore Salem apart in 1692 and led to the execution of 29 people.  This one, however, was different.  With Fara Wolfson from Voices Against Injustice and Erica Feldmann, who started HausWitch Home + Healing as part store, part community center and informal educational hub for 21st century witches,  Harris invited us to explore what the history of Salem means and how contemporary pa gans, wiccans and witches in Salem and around the world orient towards the town and its most celebrated holiday, Halloween.     You can watch the presentation here .  Be sure to let me know what you think.