Wayward and Homebound

"This is an original work by one of the truly original contemporary philosophical thinkers, who effortlessly combines big-picture conceptualization with granular detail. This outstanding book, which is as epical in reach as it is lyrical in expression, has two fundamental dimensions. The first is the application of Desmond's high-altitude metaphysics of the between to the full breadth and depth of Irish culture, which over two millennia demonstrates a marvelous porosity between religion, and philosophy. The discussion of the contributions of each is outstanding; the discussion of their relation astonishing. The second and hidden dimension of this probing account of Irish culture is more personal. Providing an account of Irish culture in a sense provides an account of Desmond's own Irishness fated to resist the three modern sirens of reduction that affront us in the modern world: the reduction to a procrustean unity that dims plurality and dialogue; the reduction to equivocity that indemnifies incommensurability of thought and habit and leaves us talking to ourselves, and the reduction to dialectic prosecuted by Hegel that suggests plurality and difference only to betray them in a self-certifying system." — Cyril O'Regan, Huisking Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame

"William Desmond's openhanded engagement with Seán Ó Ríordáin, a poet for whom betweenness was both an affliction and an act of conflicted integrity, re-minds us that estrangement is both a prelude to a homecoming deferred and an acceptance of the human need to incorporate difference rather than suppressing it. To be able to eavesdrop on the dialogue between the 'cough-clearing' poet and the 'breathgiving' philosopher is one of the great joys of William Desmond's Wayward and Homebound: Irish Betweenings, Philosophical Thought, and Writing." — Louis de Paor, Centre for Irish Studies, University of Galway

"In this enchanting book, William Desmond applies his metaxological philosophy of the 'between' to a brilliant reading of Irish thought and culture. In a panoptic journey ranging from ancient and medieval Irish writing to contemporary Irish poets and thinkers, Desmond displays a singular mix of metaphysical depth, historical breadth, and comic wit. This is the Irish mind at its best. An intellectual and spiritual tour de force." — Richard Kearney, author of Salvage

"In Wayward and Homebound, William Desmond invites readers to accompany him on a journey that is simultaneously historical, philosophical, religious, and autobiographical. Books on the topic of philosophy abound; texts that invite others to undertake the labor of philosophical thought, books in philosophy, are rare indeed. Desmond leads readers on an intellectual journey, one that crisscrosses epochs and oceans, and leads them to the fecund soil of his native Ireland. Under his guidance, readers will become attuned to voices that have long been marginalized in the West. In this book, Desmond plays the role of gracious host to an event akin to an Irish musical seisiún. But instead of musicians playing jigs and reels, this book entreats significant Irish thinkers—saints, scoundrels, scholars, and poets—to let their voices resound in the between." — Ryan G. Duns, Marquette University