"A man who does not exist" is about just that- the Irish peasant as an imaginative construct. Yeats and Synge were two of the writers who established the terms of an argument that has affected all subsequent Irish politics as well as literature. The Revivalists' task was to counter English stereotypes- the cavorting, drunken "Paddy" who, while entertaining and colorful, was not to be trusted to govern himself- and to provide a cultural context for the foundation of a new country. To write about "peasants" was to give life to old stories and thus to create a new national consciousness.Drawing from Irish folklore, Yeats created lyrical, romantic peasant figures, while Synge recreated the language he heard on the Aran Islands and in County Wicklow in order to develop his comic and tragic characters. Although of different political convictions, both turned to Irish folk culture in order to find a tradition, almost a religion, upon which to build a new literary movement.In "A man who does not exist" Deborah Fleming examines from a postcolonial perspective the cultural, historical, and literary contexts in which Yeats and Synge developed their peasant characters. By showing that both Yeats and Synge presented the dark side of rural life along with the lyrical, she defends them against the charge that their portraits are mere idealizations. Further, her analysis demonstrates the historical, anthropological, and political relevance of the two writers' works. An appendix contains additional information about the history of agrarian Ireland.This book contributes to the ongoing cultural and political discourse about Irish national identity. It will have wide appeal among those who study Ireland and its literature and will also interest scholars of postcolonial literature more generally.Deborah Fleming is Assistant Professor of English, Ashland University.

A Man Who Does Not Exist: The Irish Peasant in the Work of W.b. Yeats and J.m. Synge

Literature & Fiction

Fleming, Deborah

History & Criticism

Univ of Michigan Pr

Without Leave chronicles the stories of two alienated young people during 1967-70-David, who goes AWOL from the Navy where he'd hoped to find training and focus for his life but finds only boredom and disillusionment during deployment on an aircraft carrier and an artist, Diane, who drops out of college after a brutal rape and the death of the black man she loved-who meet and fall in love in the Haight-Ashbury region of San Francisco in 1967 only to find they cannot escape their past: David cannot be free while a fugitive and Diane cannot be free in a segregated society at war with itself.

Without Leave

Literary

Black Mountain Press

Resurrection of the Wild: Meditations on Ohio’s Natural Landscape

Winner, 2020 PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay An impassioned call for recognizing and preserving the ecological wonders of the Allegheny Plateau Yosemite National Park, Louisiana's bayou, the rocky coasts of New England, the desert Southwest--America's more dramatic locations are frequently celebrated for their natural beauty, but far less has been written about Ohio's unique and beautiful environment. Author Deborah Fleming, who has lived in rural Ohio and cared for its land for decades, shares fourteen interrelated essays, blending her own experiences with both scientific and literary research. Resurrection of the Wild discusses both natural and human histories as it focuses on the Allegheny Plateau and hill country in Ohio's eastern counties. These lyrical meditations delve into life on Fleming's farm, the impacts of the mining and drilling industries, fox hunting, homesteading families, the lives of agriculturalist Louis Bromfield and John Chapman (better known as Johnny Appleseed), and Ohio's Amish community. Fleming finds that our very concept of freedom must be redefined to include preservation and respect for the natural world. Ultimately, Resurrection of the Wild becomes a compelling argument for the importance of ecological preservation in Ohio, and Fleming's perspective will resonate with readers both within and beyond this "forgotten" state's borders.

History

Americas

The Kent State University Press

In this critical study of the influence of W. B. Yeats (1865-1939) on the poetry and drama of Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962), Deborah Fleming examines similarities in imagery, landscape, belief in eternal recurrence, use of myth, distrust of rationalism, and dedication to tradition. Although Yeats's and Jeffers's styles differed widely, Towers of Myth and Stone examines how the two men shared a vision of modernity, rejected contemporary values in favor of traditions (some of their own making), and created poetry that sought to change those values.Jeffers's well-known opposition to modernist poetry forced him for decades to the margins of critical appraisal, where he was seen as an eccentric without aesthetic content. Yet both Yeats and Jeffers formulated social and poetic philosophies that continue to find relevance in critical and cultural theory. Engaging Yeats's work enabled Jeffers to develop a related, though distinct, sense of what themes and subject matter were best suited for poetic endeavor. His connection to Yeats helps to explain the nature of Jeffers's poetry even as it helps to clarify Yeats's influence on those who followed him. Moreover, Fleming argues, Jeffers's interest in Yeats suggests that critics misunderstand Jeffers if they take his rejection of modernism (as exemplified by Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, and Ezra Pound) as a rejection of contemporary poetry or the process by which modern poetry came into being.

Towers of Myth & Stone: Yeats's Influence on Robinson Jeffers

University of South Carolina Press

The formalist and free verse poems of INTO A NEW COUNTRY by Deborah Fleming follow the anonymous speaker through love and loss from youth to maturity; juxtapose and explore the subjects of love, death, art, and war; and take us to locations in Europe, Asia, and America to discover new “countries” of mind and heart.

Into a New Country

Poetry

WordTech Communications LLC

Packed with stunning photography and helpful, descriptive line drawings, this book covers all four varieties of the increasingly popular Belgian Shepherd. The breed is unique among pedigree dogs because of its diversity and all four types—the Groenendael, the Laekenois, the Malinois, and the Tervueren—are all comprehensively covered here.

The Complete Belgian Shepherd Dog

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Pets & Animal Care

Ringpress Books Ltd

This is a book of poems about various aspects of the State of Ohio, including rural areas, farmland, forests, and specific events past and present.

Morning, Winter Solstice

Vineyard Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Fleming, Deborah. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Fleming, Deborah

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Fleming, Deborah. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

A Man Who Does Not Exist: The Irish Peasant in the Work of W.b. Yeats and J.m. Synge

Without Leave

Resurrection of the Wild: Meditations on Ohio’s Natural Landscape

Resurrection of the Wild: Meditations on Ohio’s Natural Landscape

Towers of Myth & Stone: Yeats's Influence on Robinson Jeffers

Into a New Country

The Complete Belgian Shepherd Dog

Morning, Winter Solstice