O'Connor, Frank - Introduction

Frank O'Connor 1903–1966

(Pseudonym of Michael John O'Donovan) Irish short story writer, novelist, critic, editor, and translator of ancient Gaelic works.

O'Connor is often referred to as a master of the short story. An outstanding craftsman, he skillfully manipulates plot to bring his characters and stories to life. O'Connor is distinctly Irish in his settings and in his skill at "spinning a tale," but he is universal in his ability to capture those moments of crisis in the lives of ordinary people which transform them and ultimately change the course of their lives.

William Butler Yeats encouraged O'Connor and credited him with "doing for Ireland what Chekhov did for Russia."

(See also CLC, Vol. 14 and Contemporary Authors, Vols. 93-96.)