What’s in a name? Well, if you’re asking J.K. Rowling or Charlotte Bronte, a name can mean anonymity, creative freedom and a fresh start. Female authors have long used male or gender-neutral pseudonyms when releasing their work into the public sphere, and though it was typically used predominantly to escape female stereotyping, it is a…
“I write because my ink must flow like blood. The written must be spoken.” Poetry can all too often be seen as a mundane practice. Today, many of us can still harbour outdated preconceptions about poetry: that it serves no purpose, that it is inaccessible, that it is unexciting and unengaging for an audience, or…
Some days (or, these days, most of the time) it can feel like our world is without hope. Rampant governmental corruption, tyrannical leaders, the ever-encroaching threat of climate change and that unshakeable feeling that smartphones today are getting a bit too smart… it’s a tough time for us all. When drugs are illegal, alcohol’s a…
Following the success of TEDx CorkSalon’s CorkLovesMusic event last September, #CorkLovesMusic, in association with First Music Contact (FMC), presents a standalone series of free music industry clinics, as well as talks and performances, all beginning on Wednesday February 22nd, and taking place throughout 2017. On the afternoon of the 22nd, UCC Students’ Union presents one-on-one…
A subversive genius. An anonymous contrarian. My most recent Halloween costume. It’s a name that recalls a gritty aesthetic and a bleak subject matter, plus a myriad of fantastic tales – from being shot at in the West Bank to sneaking his own art into MoMA. Though his identity remains unknown, his work certainly doesn’t….
“Each morning when I awake, I experience a supreme pleasure – that of being Salvador Dalí” A madman. An extraordinary artist. A fame-obsessed, money-obsessed maverick. Whatever your conceptions about Salvador Dalí, there’s no denying that the man led an exceptional life, and it’s a life that has produced some of the most thought-provoking artwork of…
With less than a month to the big day, it’s now truly Christmas; advent calendars, bad jumpers and yes friends, it also means the great pilgrimage that is the 12 Pubs of Christmas. This may be your first time heading on this extraordinary alcoholic adventure, but fear not: the Express has got your back. I’m…
The Cork Film Festival is in its 61st year, and by the time you’re reading this it’ll be about halfway through its 2016 run (the fortnightly publishing schedule for the Express isn’t fun sometimes). For the most part, the film Festival is held in Cork City locations: so Triskel, the Gate, the Everyman, and St…
Is your soul feeling depleted after too many nights in Holy Cow? Extensive knowledge of Keeping Up with The Kardashians no longer useful when all your friends are discussing shit, low-budget indie films? Need a jazzy new corduroy jacket that smells like your grandad? Say no more, say no more: here are five very Corkonian,…
Life is hard for Katurian K. Katurian: he’s an unsuccessful writer living in a totalitarian dictatorship, he’s a murder suspect, and he just so happens to be the central character in Martin McDonagh’s latest twisted masterpiece, which doesn’t really bode well for him. At first glance, The Pillowman is another McDonagh classic; the play is…