Colm Toibin interview and short story

Colm Toibin's "Summer of '38" appeared in the March issue of The New Yorker. This short and simple tale of ordinary events and one woman's memories portrays some long-term consequences of the Spanish Civil War. After making a decision to leave the past undisturbed, the protagonist declines a unique lunch invitation and arranges a lunch of her own.

Photo from The Guardian

Last month, Toibin was interviewed by CBC's Eleanor Wachtel of Writers and Company at Blue Metropolis in Montreal, where he was awarded the International Literary Grand Prix. His latest work, The Testament of Mary, featured Toibin's view of what it was like for Mary to be the mother of Jesus. The first theatrical run starred Fiona Shaw and closed on May 5.

Toibin is close to the Irish theatre, and it was at a theatrical event that the idea was suggested. Would he do a play? He would, and did. In the CBC interview, he talked about Mary's silence, her acquiescence. In these qualities, he suggested, lay her appeal as someone to pray to lay.

Hearing Toibin talk with Eleanor Wachtel made me think about another book I read recently. In 2011 Michelle Roberts published a novel called The Secret Gospel of Mary Magdalene. It seems to me an interesting thread connects the two. Toibin's discussion of how he envisioned Mary reminded me of a passage from Roberts's book. In listing her identification with more ancient goddesses and their epithets, Mary describes herself as "she who is ignored...exiled."

Interesting parallel. I love Toibin's writing and look forward to reading this latest opus. If the opportunity arises, I'll see the stage play as well.