T.J. English didn’t quite know what to expect when he went up to Boston earlier this year to promote his eye-opening new book, Paddy Whacked: The Untold Story of the Irish American Gangster.
“Boston is the one place where this story is still a contemporary story, because of South Boston and the way Irish-American culture has been preserved in South Boston like no place else,” said English.
Boston, of course, is Whitey Bulger’s old stomping grounds. The man who remains one of the FBI’s most wanted has been on the run for years. But more than a handful of his old soldiers and associates remain in and around Boston. Then there is the perception that Irish Boston remains hostile to any and all outsiders, particularly those who are taking notes or have written books that name names.
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In other adaptation news, Irish actress Ruth Negga has taken a lead role in a highly anticipated film called Passing, based on the groundbreaking novel of the same name. Passing will also star Tessa Thompson (who appeared in the Irish Famine era TV show Copper) and be directed by actress Rebecca Hall. Passing is based on the novel by Nella Larsen. Published in 1929, it is about two mixed-race friends whose lives have gone in different directions since one decided to “pass” as a white woman and the other did not. Negga, raised in Limerick – by an Irish mother and Ethiopian father – had been taking things a bit slow since earning an Oscar nomination in 2016 for Loving. But after an appearance in the Brad Pitt flick Ad Astra, Passing should propel Negga back into the forefront of the entertainment scene. Hall, meanwhile, will be making her directorial debut with Passing. She has appeared in many films, including the Irish Boston crime flick The Town. ♦