This rock 'n' roll Angela's Ashes begins in County Wexford, Ireland, in the late 1950s, a vibrant but now almost unrecognizable, womb-like theocracy. Upon arrival in New York, Kirwan finds himself side by side with the Ramones and Blondie at CBGBs; the brothers McCourt, Lester Bangs, and Nick Tosches at The Bells of Hell; the hell-raising cast of revolutionaries and regulars of Paddy Reilly's while Black 47 mixes its brew of politics and genre-bending rock under the watchful eyes of Joe Strummer, Rick Ocasek, and Neil Young. Green Suede Shoes remembers three decades of a lost New York, and the people who have made it what it is.
"In the great tradition of Irish narratives, Larry Kirwan occupies a noble and unique place. His story is so rich, layered, and edgy - without a trace of self-consciousness or self-pity. This is a truly compelling story, told by a rock and roll poet with a deep appreciation of his roots. His understanding of himself and his connection to his past informs his current work in the most exquisite way."
- Rosanne Cash
"Lyrical from the first word to the last. A bible for the Irish emigrant. A book about emigrating that takes you back home. A pure voice for the Irish-American."
- Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl series
"In the great tradition of Irish narratives, Larry Kirwan occupies a noble and unique place. His story is so rich, layered, and edgy - without a trace of self-consciousness or self-pity. This is a truly compelling story, told by a rock and roll poet with a deep appreciation of his roots. His understanding of himself and his connection to his past informs his current work in the most exquisite way."
- Rosanne Cash
"Lyrical from the first word to the last. A bible for the Irish emigrant. A book about emigrating that takes you back home. A pure voice for the Irish-American."
- Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl series
Used availability for Larry Kirwan's Green Suede Shoes