Kevin Breathnach is the literary editor of Totally Dublin. His criticism also features in The Irish Times, The Stinging Fly, The Quarterly Conversation and 3:AM Magazine. He is also a fine essayist; we’d especially recommend This is Not the Deal (on the fine print), Stalker/Zona, and Pont Blank (on modernist photographic tradition), all in The New Inquiry. For gorse, Kevin turns his gaze to the artist portraits of Henri Cartier-Bresson.
Rob Doyle is an Irish short story writer and essayist. His novel, Here Are the Young Men, debuts later this year. Taking its name from a Joy Division track, it is, for want of a better description, a coming of age story that depicts the darker side of Dublin. Talking to the Irish Times, Rob described his “strong urge to write about atrocity porn, if you want to call it that; growing up in a culture where you’re assaulted by images of violence.” It’s incendiary stuff, steeped in the literary nihilism of Ellis, Bolaño, Ballard, and, of course, Houellebecq, subject of Rob’s essay for gorse.
Matthew Jakubowski is an American short story writer, literary critic, and Asymptote editor. He has collaborated with sculptor Geoff Thompson on a piece for the group show, Impossible Books, which opens in Philadelphia this weekend. He is also the author of one of our favourite essays from last year, ‘Honest Work: an Experimental Review of an Experimental Translation’. For gorse, Matt contributes the story ‘Killing Off Ray Apada.’