OCC Instructor Teaches 2,000 Years of Irish Literature

Orange Coast College English instructor Tom O’Keeffe was born in Ireland, he spends his summers in Ireland and--guess what?--each fall he teaches a class that explores 2,000 years of Irish literature.

The class, listed as English 171 in the OCC schedule, will meet from 7 to 10 p.m. once a week beginning Monday.

“This is a survey course that covers everything from deep-space myth to airmail editions of the Irish Times,” says O’Keefe, himself a short story writer and essayist, who gives special attention to modern masters such as Joyce and Yeats. “I use a variety of texts, even a pamphlet distributed to Irish farmers to tell them where not to go with their plows.”

The OCC Admissions office is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For registration information, call (714) 432-5772.

Book Signings: Elmore Leonard (“Get Shorty”) will sign from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Book Carnival, 870 N. Tustin Ave., Orange. . . . Linda Grant (“Blind Trust”) and Janet LaPierre (“The Cruel Mother”) will sign from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Book Carnival.

National Writers: Dick Wimmer, a creative writing instructor and author of “Baseball Fathers, Baseball Sons” and “Irish Wine,” will speak at the meeting of the Southern California chapter of the National Writers Club at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Irvine Marriott, 18000 Von Karman Ave., Irvine. Members, $10; non-members, $12. Includes brunch.

Book Talk: “Have You Read a Good Movie Lately?--Books Made Into Movies” is the discussion topic for the Let’s Talk Books meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the community services room at the Orange Main Library, 101 N. Center St. For information, call (714) 532-0355.