He Used to Be Me

by Anne Walsh Donnelly

Imprint: New Island Books

128 Pages, 5.1 x 7.8 in

Paperback
9781848409071
April 2024
In Stock

$14.99

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Description
Praise

‘I sit on the stone that will mark the bed of my bones. You’ll find the used-to-be-me, soon, flat body, washed up, wrinkly skin. No silly grin. You’ll say, What a waste of a life. Tut-tut sounds jump out. Dangle like worms from your crow’s mouth ...’

Meet Daft Matt, the Mayo man at the heart of this astonishing, form-bending story, as he wanders the streets of Castlebar in search of Devil’s feet – the claw marks of the cága, or jackdaws, who have spoken to him since he was a boy.

Yet Matt is anything but daft. In lyrical prose, Walsh Donnelly explores the complex workings of Matt’s inner life: how he deals with the loss of his twin brother as a child, navigates the carefree days of early manhood and copes with the aftermath of the horse-riding accident that would see him incarcerated in the care system for the next thirty years. Richly imagined and beautifully written, this is a story for anyone who chooses to look beyond the surface of things.

‘I used to think those claws were the only things that kept me above sea-level.’

'The story is beautifully and imaginatively told, using language that is poetic and profound, yet is instantly accessible. It is deeply sad, but strangely life-affirming at the same time' ~Kevin Powderly, writing.ie

‘An impressive debut, highly original, written in vivid, memorable prose.’ ~Irish Examiner

'This slim volume is a little gem, and if you liked Doireann ní Ghríofa's A Ghost in the Throat or, more similar to this narrative, Max Porter's Lanny then you'll drink this up.' ~Anne Cunningham, Meath Chronicle

'Anne Walsh Donnelly writes from the heart. Words fall from her as they shape on the page, some moving to one side of an answer, some to the other, some a direct hit with a soft laugh … Donnelly has a way of seeing the world as if noticing it suddenly, in its true form.' ~Catherine Murphy, Books Ireland

Some books sneak up on you, starting out as one thing before hitting you with emotions you didn't expect, and a power you didn't see coming. Anne Walsh Donnelly has written such a book ... In 116 spare, charged pages, ... [it] will break your heart. Walsh Donnelly is a relatively new voice in Irish fiction ... but her work has an assuredness of tone and a mature voice and in Daft Matt she has created a character that lingers. A profound and moving experience. ~Nadine O'Regan, The Irish Times