All the Spangled Host

All The Spangled Host by John A. Ryan \n \nJohn A. Ryan Ôis an apostle of nature, possessed of a poetÕs sensitivity É his stories have a directness and simplicity that remind me of certain songs by Neil Young.Õ \n \nIn this lyrical and compelling collection of tales of the quotidian, John A. Ryan paints a sincere picture of Ireland, itÕs environment and people in All the Spangled Host. His delicate awareness of the world around him is reflected in every paragraph of these poetic and contemplative pieces. Each is infused with a sense of mindfulness, slowness and the almost divine nature of the small and the commonplace, reminding the reader of the sacredness of life at the heart of the universe. \n \nSome of these twenty prose pieces, scattered across rural and small-town Ireland, France and the Mediterranean littoral, have already appeared in the pages of the Irish Press. Most are hitherto unseen. They partake of Benedict Kiely, Donal Ryan and the deep traditions of Irish traditional rural literature. \n \nABOUT THE AUTHOR \n \nJohn A. RyanÕs first book, Song of Duiske (Lilliput, 1989, 2006), was described by Sean Dunne as Ôa small classic of Irish literatureÕ (Cork Examiner) and by Pat Donlan, national librarian, asÊÔa tiny masterpiece É like a miniature paintingÕ (RTƒ). His novella, MoÕsoor: Song of the Road,Êwas published by Lilliput in 2013. John is a retired teacher and currently lives in Waterford. \n \n'The stories are timeless; they are suffused with RyanÕs gentle appreciation of the insignificance but wonder of ordinary lives.'ÊThe Irish Times