Fear Those Big Words

It’s always nice to see a local kid grow up and make good. Kevin Birmingham is one of those kids. After leaving the shores of his native South Florida, Birmingham earned a PhD from Harvard, and if that wasn’t accomplishment enough, the literary historian’s first book recently landed on the...

By S. Edwards

December 18, 2014

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It’s always nice to see a local kid grow up and make good. Kevin Birmingham is one of those kids. After leaving the shores of his native South Florida, Birmingham earned a PhD from Harvard, and if that wasn’t accomplishment enough, the literary historian’s first book recently landed on the New York Times’ nonfiction bestseller list. The Most Dangerous Book in the World is a compelling biography of the often-incomprehensible Irish author James Joyce. It traces Joyce’s years as a struggling young writer; his work on his literary masterpiece, Ulysses; and kinky relationship with lifelong love, Nora Barnacle. Birmingham’s biography is underpinned by some serious scholarly research and reveals new details about Joyce’s life and health, namely that he suffered from syphilis. The Most Dangerous Book in the World is a feat for a first-time author, and it has definitely earned all of the buzz it has received. Birmingham is an author you don’t want to miss. Catch his homecoming at Books & Books (265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables) this Monday. The reading will begin at 8 p.m. Visit booksandbooks.com or call 305-442-4408.
Mon., Dec. 29, 8 p.m., 2014

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