John Kelly

Writer and Broadcaster at RTÉ

poetry NOTIONS, SPACE @dedaluspress - radio ELEVATION @SiriusXM, Mystery Train @rte - views mine and not Sirius or RTÉ. Shared links/RTs never an endorsement

Articles

RIP Mark Zingarelli, 1952-2025

3 days ago | tcj.com | John Kelly

A memory of Mark that comes to mind is a fairly recent though trivial one, but it kinda captures "him." A little background: Most of us who were Seattleites at any given time-homegrown like myself or one-time transplants like Mark-have a deep affection and an affinity for Seattle's beloved, fast-food restaurant chain, "Dick's Drive In." An unapologetically stuck-in-time holdover from the late-1950s.
Unraveling the mystery of the man called Mad Peck, 1942-2025

1 week ago | tcj.com | John Kelly

Regardless of his Connecticut upbringing, John Peck was a particularly Rhode Island personality, educated by its premiere institution of higher learning - Brown University - and nurtured by the state's outré counter-culture, epitomized by the artists and creators who emerged from our other collegiate gem on Providence's East Side, the Rhode Island School of Design, which helped develop generations of quirky talents, including David Byrne and his band, the Talking Heads, film director Gus Van...
Dennis Frye and Civil War Battlefield Conservation

1 month ago | thevirginiasportsman.com | John Kelly

Some people take decades, or even a lifetime, to determine their life’s path. Dennis Frye never had that issue. The now-retired park ranger and chief historian at Harpers Ferry National Park (not to mention noted author, lecturer, and Civil War battlefield conservationist) decided the ranger life would be his when he was in sixth grade.
Remembering Larry Todd: 1948-2024

Oct 23, 2024 | tcj.com | John Kelly

Larry Todd, a multifaceted and talented artist whose work included wondrous science fiction paintings and trippy underground comix, died on Sept. 28 following a long illness. The cause of death was testicular cancer, according to Pepper Alexandria, a longtime friend of Todd's. He was 76. "I consider him to be a super genius, with an imagination like no one else's," said Alexandria, a cartoonist, belly dancer and former girlfriend of Todd's, who remained his close friend for 50 years.
John Kelly | Substack

Aug 9, 2024 | substack.com | John Kelly

You may have read my words at The Washington Post, where I wrote every day about things like squirrels, music, D.C. history, dogs, traffic, apostrophes and the correct way to hang toilet paper. Now my words live here.
Listen Up: Here's a Pair of Podcasts I've Been Enjoying

Aug 9, 2024 | johnkellyswashington.substack.com | John Kelly

Podcasts, am I right? Aren’t you sick of them? I was. And that’s before I even listened to one. I now have a more nuanced take on the genre, which is that podcasts are basically like people: There are excellent ones and there are lousy ones. The vast majority are somewhere in the middle. You can live your life just fine without making their acquaintance. But there are a couple that I’m glad I met, both courtesy of the BBC. If you’re like me, you may enjoy them, too.
"I don't know if many people do a graphic novel the way I did this one.": Talking with Rick Altergott About Blessed Be

May 29, 2024 | tcj.com | John Kelly

There has been a lot of anticipation for Blessed Be, Rick Altergott's first graphic novel, which, of course, stars his comical goofballs Doofus and Henry Hotchkiss. I am typing this in early May 2024 and over the past few days my social media posts have lit up with joyous images of people who have received copies of the book. I got my copy a while back and it sure was a hoot to read and pleasure to look at.
Understanding Black History: 10 Terms That Illuminate The Black Experience In The US

Feb 6, 2024 | dictionary.com | John Kelly

Black history is American history, but it’s also bigger than that. The reach and influence of Black culture is global. Black history is too vast to be covered or contained in a single month, or a single article. Black History Month is nevertheless a reminder to engage in a year-round, lifelong celebration and exploration of Black history and its many facets.
John Kelly's top 10 albums of 2023

Dec 19, 2023 | rte.ie | John Kelly

These are in no particular order and represent no more than a top ten list as it immediately comes to mind. I might well suggest another ten albums by lunchtime, and I dread to think what I'm inadvertently omitting. 1. Lisa O’Neill – All of This is Chance. This was a dead cert to be one of my albums of 2023 from the very first moment I heard it, sometime back in 2022. Lisa is a one-off. She’s the real deal.
'He was known before he was known' - John Kelly on Shane MacGowan

Dec 1, 2023 | rte.ie | John Kelly

In 2018 John Kelly hosted Shane MacGowan's 60th Birthday celebrations at the National Concert Hall – an event attended by President Higgins, with performances from Sinéad O’Connor, Bono, Nick Cave and many more. Here, with the permission of the National Concert Hall, are John’s notes from the official programme for the event. LONDON: He was known before he was known. They said his ear had been bitten off at a Clash gig, and then pictures appeared in the papers of his young and bloodied face.