![\"Barbaric](\"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Barbaric-Genius-Poster.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\nIn 1988, the British literary scene was rocked by the publication of London-Irishman John Healy’s extraordinary memoir about his life as a wino, The Grass Arena<\/i>. It won the top prize in England that year for literary autobiography. It was turned into an award-winning BBC film. John Healy told of his decades-long submersion in the violent chaotic alcoholic homeless subculture in England. Even more extraordinary, during one of Healy’s prison stays, he was taught the game of chess. He never took a drink after that and went on to become a chess master. The Grass Arena<\/i> was hailed as a “masterpiece” by Irvine Welsh, Harold Pinter sang its praises, John Healy was everywhere.He was interviewed in both the national and the international press. He was on television talk shows. He was a star. <\/p>\n
Since then? Silence. And a warehouse full of rumors about John Healy’s violent behavior. Any truth to the rumors? Why has his book been allowed to go out of print, despite clear audience demand? <\/p>\n
What the hell happened? Had this celebrated author been blackballed for some mysterious reason?<\/p>\n
Irish filmmaker Paul Duane (I reviewed his documentary Natan<\/i> here<\/a>), who, like so many others, had been blown away by The Grass Arena<\/i> when he first read it, wanted to find out. <\/p>\n Barbaric Genius<\/i>, Duane’s documentary about John Healy, is set to be released in the States on Hulu and Netflix later this summer (it already got a cinematic release in the UK.) You can rent it on iTunes. I highly recommend it. <\/p>\n I interviewed both Paul Duane and John Healy for Rogerebert.com.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In 1988, the British literary scene was rocked by the publication of London-Irishman John Healy’s extraordinary memoir about his life as a wino, The Grass Arena. It won the top prize in England that year for literary autobiography. It was … Continue reading