The book presents a clever allegory reflecting on modern work life, drawing inspiration from the tradition of poets and writers who navigate totalitarian regimes. Martin Hayes and Ox showcase their ingenuity and perseverance in crafting a narrative that remains both incisive and humorous, effectively conveying their message while evading the scrutiny of oppressive authorities.
"Martin Hayes' third Smokestack collection is a hymn to the invisible workers everywhere who hold up the sky--specifically the couriers and support staff who have been working 15-hours a day to distribute PPE and test kits up and down the UK. Underneath is a brutally funny collection about work, comradeship and community, the deals we do to stay human in the dehumanising conditions of the twenty-first century, the years we exchange for a fridge full of food, a well-stocked medicine cabinet and the chance to swim in the sea once a year. It's a book about work-mates and neighbours, warnings and redundancies, managers with their 'Moray eel smiles' and the alien rich who think that the world belongs to them. Martin Hayes gives a voice to everyone at the bottom of the pile, below the salt, underneath, defiantly asserting that we are not defeated--at least not just yet."--Page 4 of cover.
Martin Hayes spent his childhood on a farm in County Clare, in a household steeped in musical tradition. After a free-spirited youth, he headed to the United States where he built a career that led to a life of musical performance on stages all over the world. Shared Notes traces this remarkable journey. Picking up his first fiddle at the age of seven, Hayes learned that music must express feeling. No amount of technical prowess can compensate for an absence of soulfulness. His interpretations of traditional Irish music are recognized the world over for their exquisite musicality and irresistible rhythm. Hayes has toured and recorded with guitarist Dennis Cahill for over twenty years, founded the Irish-American band The Gloaming, The Martin Hayes Quartet and The Common Ground Ensemble, and here, for the first time, tells his story of getting to the heart of the music.