Sláinte! A Writer’s St. Patrick’s Day
Combine Irish traditions with writing to make the day a creative one
In Milwaukee, thirty minutes from my suburban home, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are so rollicking the city offers free bus rides for 24 hours. Most years, the day itself is a culmination of week-long activities. Sponsored by the Shamrock Club of Wisconsin, there is a parade that dates back to 1843, a mass at St. Patrick’s church, Irish events at convention centers, and a party at the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center with four stages, four dance schools, seven bands, and a Children’s Area.
As a writer with a wee bit o’ Irish blood, I detected some cross-over in themes and motifs. St. Patrick’s Day traditions interlaced with a day of writing could lead to inspired pages. March 17 is a perfect fit for words and writing; beer, booze, and beef.
Breakfast
Writers love their morning joe. What better way to begin St. Paddy’s Day than with Irish coffee. Go light on the alcohol, though, if there is a deadline or firm word count expected.
Recipe: Combine 2 teaspoons light brown sugar, 1 cup coffee, and 2 ounces Irish whiskey. Top with whipped cream.
Write a few chapters
Need inspiration? Irish folklore is rich with story-worthy ideas. With enough faith, perhaps a leprechaun will appear. These tiny people, associated with a Celtic belief in fairies, were thought to have magical powers, both good and evil. Beware though, because these miniature bearded men, attired in green hat and coat, are known to love a touch of mischief. On the other hand, one might lead to a pot of gold.
Lunch
Greenbacks not adding up? Get some green in your beer. At least in my town, several pubs serve green beer on St. Patrick’s Day. For creative motivation, choose a place that plays Irish music. Made famous by the Chieftains, the Irish musical tradition is centuries old. Derive imagination from melodic turns on fiddles or uilleann pipes, find word rhythm in the hits on a bodhran or frame drum, build atmosphere from the flutey sound of a tin whistle.
Afternoon edits
For an after-lunch pick-me-up, enjoy a cup of Irish breakfast tea—despite the name, the blend is enjoyed all day long. Add milk and sugar to the malty, reddish brew of Assam and Ceylon leaves. When tea was first imported from China in the 18th century, high cost made it a luxury for the wealthy. One hundred years later, it became available to every economic class—including poor writers.
Dinner
Commune with Oscar Wilde, Roddy Doyle, Maeve Binchy, or Seamus Heaney while eating traditional corned beef and cabbage. Eight hours in the crockpot, set on low, should yield a soft, tender brisket that is salty, spicy, and sour. On the side, serve boiled potatoes and cabbage stewed in the brisket’s brine. Use crunchy-crusted Irish soda bread to soak up all the extra juices. For dessert, Irish whiskey cake. Maybe there is something in the food—it nourished some of the best writers in the world.
Evening reading
Every writer loves a good narrative. Read up on St. Patrick, whose tale is one of captivity and terror replaced by goodwill and redemption. Born in the late 4th century, he was captured at 16 and enslaved in Ireland. He escaped, devoted his life to Christianity, and built churches, monasteries, and schools. Legend says he drove the snakes out of Ireland, though some sources claim Ireland never did have snakes. In other accounts, he used a shamrock to explain the holy trinity.
Bedtime
More Irish whiskey to bring on sleep. Leave behind thoughts of cold and snow—I have five-foot snowbanks at the end of my Wisconsin driveway. Dream of green-growing shamrocks, ancient Ireland’s symbol of rebirth, and wake renewed, ready to start again.
