Triple Homicide - DA Joe Hynes Debut Novel

Brooklyn District Attorney Charles "Joe" Hynes spoke before a gathering of lawyers from the Irish community at John Dearie's office Tuesday, August 7, 2007. He discussed his new novel, "Triple Homicide," released this summer, and talked about some of the reforms in the police community since the Mollen Commission of 1992.

Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes at booksigning

Photo credit: Patricia Jameson-Sammartano

We caught up with him, and asked him five questions.

WGT: Who is(are) your favorite author(s)?
A: Nelson de Mille, John Grisham, Michael Connelly, David Baldacci...and before that, William Shakespeare.

WGT: Why did you choose police corruption as a theme for your book?

A: It's a theme I'm very famiiliar with; the corruption of the '70's and 80's left me terribly shaken, and I want to raise the consciousness of young police officers to the dangers of corruption.

WGT: How does your Irish heritage experience your growth as a writer?

A: There's a lot of sadness in Irish families, and I got a lot of strength from my mother and maternal grandfather. We lived with domestic violence, and that strength got me through.

WGT: Are you working on a second book, and if so, what will be its theme?

A: Yes, it depends upon the response given to this book; the second will be about political and judicial corruption. My audience for "Triple Homicide" is cops, trial lawyers and the library community because it received a great review from the Library Journal(The link to the review is below; scroll down to see the review. Ours is in progress). We'd like to sell it to all the libraries in America, so you can take it out and read it.

WGT: If you could have written any other book, what would it have been, and why?

A: Anything by all of the authors I mentioned; they're all specgtacular storytellers, and that's an Irish trait as well.

Patricia Jameson-Sammartano

WGT Culture Editor

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6441437.html?q=triple+homicide

Tommy Makem, R.I.P.

We have received word from Charles McKenna of the Irish Cultural Centre of Tommy Makem's death from lung cancer yesterday. We take the liberty of quoting his letter of August 1, in our inbox this morning, here:

Patricia Jameson-Sammartano
Culture Editor, WGT


A Chara, Friend,

This is Charlie McKenna and I am writing this message with a very heavy heart. A personal hero of mine has been called home to God. The Bard of Armagh, Dr. Tommy Makem, passed away tonight after a long battle with Lung Cancer.

I cannot help but think of the times that I spoke with Tommy on the phone and asked advice about the festival, or the times when we would sit backstage and he would share poetry with me about my family name and County Monaghan. I can't help but think of the times when he would grace our stages in these past years. If he was not making music with his banjo and lilting voice, he was speaking to the hearts of each and every soul in the audience like a father to a child.

Arrangements have yet to be announced. Please afford the family the chance to grieve and heal. I believe that a memorial fund will be established and I will be sure to pass on any information as it comes along.


For tonight, please join me in a recitation of the Rosary for Dr. Tommy Makem. We love you Tommy and we thank you from the deepest reaches of our hearts for your music, your humor, your wisdom and your greatest legacy, your fine family. Tonight, Bard of Armagh, all of the answers are known to you and you are in paradise.

Mournfully,

Charlie
Charles McKenna
Founder & Executive Director
Irish Cultural Centre of Long Island
& Great Hunger Memorial
Long Island Irish Festival