There is a thorough review of Celts in the Americas, edited by Michael Newton (CBU Press 2013), in the latest bulletin (vol. 31.2) of the Celtic Studies Association of North America (CSANA), May 2014.

“The book must be commended for forging ahead into new territory.”

Celtic Studies is “underrepresented in the academy, and the contributions in each area show how useful Celticists can be to disciplines covering the contemporary world and recent history.”

“The historical linguistic relationship among the Celtic peoples is just one connection, and [Celts in the Americas] reminds the reader that the broader colonial experience is also shared with non-Celts. Articles about language revitalization and the performance of hybrid identities in an increasingly diverse modern world reinforce the essential notion that the Celts are neither confined to the past nor isolated in the present. These ideas, in turn, can inspire a new look at the past during the peak of medieval Celtic-language literary production, a phenomenon which also occurred in a multiethnic and colonial context.”

Michael Newton recently made presentations during the famed Grandfather Mountain Highland Games (July 10-13) in North Carolina. The talks were sponsored by Council of Scottish Clans and Associations.

Along with Dr. Bruce Durie, Michael debated differing viewpoints on heroism, myth-making and the Gaelic reality of Scottish American history. Later, Newton’s latest book, The Naughty Little Book of Gaelic: All the Scottish Gaelic You Need to Curse, Swear, Drink, Smoke and Fool Around (CBU Press 2014) was the focus of a reception:

“An Afternoon Lesson On How To Cuss In Gaelic with Dr. Michael Newton. Over a glass of good wine? What’s not to like! Dr. Newton is the leading Gaelic studies scholar in the country and he has recently put his language, culture and history skills together to write “The Naughty Little Book of Gaelic”. Come for the cocktails and great banter – leave with a great wee book signed by the author and a quiver full of new phrases with which to amaze and entertain your friends and family!”

The Annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games and gathering of Highland Clans, is held during the second weekend in July at Grandfather Mountain State Park near Linville, NC.

With the end of Gaelic awareness month (May) upon us, CBU Press author and Gaelic scholar Michael Newton (UNC Chapel Hill) has posted his latest blog as the Virtual Gael – an interesting discussion on the quest for diasporic Gaelic heroes.

Michael is of course the author of our Naughty Little Book of Gaelic and editor of Celts in the Americas (CBU Press 2013). We are pleased to report that NLB is selling well, heading into a second printing.