Paul Durcan. The Art of Life

Paul Durcan has published prolifically over the years and yet his presence in critical journals is remarkably inconspicuous. Despite the support of such eminent critics as Edna Longley and the numerous prestigious awards he has gleaned over the years, his appeal has remained essentially popular — he has become the closest one can get to the almost extinct notion of a bestselling poet. Perhaps it is this perceived “populism” that has caused academic criticism to largely disregard him. His surf...