Author Description

Kevin Kiely writing about Heaney's collected verse in 'The Irish Independent' and 'Village: politics and culture' met with widespread condemnation from the Heaney clique. Supporters of Kiely's critiques agree that famous Seamus as exalted verse-maker is fraudulent. This is the only full-length book (so far) defending poetry against the exorbitant claims of the self-protective Heaney cult. There is a plea to discerning students, scholars and teachers imposed upon by Heaney's low resolution verse. All of Heaney's collections and translations are critically exposed, alongside his interview statements and criticism. Academic ghouls who 'made' his reputation are 'outed' including Harold Bloom, Helen Vendler, John Carey, Blake Morrison, Karl Miller, Peter Levi, Andrew Motion, Lachlan Mackinnon, Clive James and Christopher Ricks among the easily bought. The conspiracy is located in Faber & Faber's contemporary mediocrity as 'poetry publisher' after their high modernist, post-modernist successes. 'Heaney knows that he can never be Yeats'-Declan Kiberd. 'A minor talent, grossly over praised for political reasons. His talents as a poet wouldn't, in a sane world, have taken him further than the parish magazine, but he is hailed as a Nobel Prize winner.'-A. N. Wilson'-I have enough of the aborted scholar in me to express doubt about the advisability of studying Iris Murdoch or William Golding or Philip Larkin or Seamus Heaney in a university course.'-Anthony Burgess-'Heaney was preparing books for Faber.'-James Simmons 'A minor poet [...] elevated to a touchstone of contemporary taste.'-David Lloyd'-Political correctness came as naturally to him as breathing'-John Bayley-'Heaney unable ever to address the relation between politics and writing more than superficially' -Tom Herron