MY CULTURAL LIFE
Caitlin McBride, author
Caitlin McBride, proud resident of Dublin, is the executive style editor at Independent.ie. She most recently released a book entitled The Day That Changed My Life, chronicling interviews with 31 prominent Irish women about moments which changed the course of their lives. She grew up in Long Island, New York, before moving to Limerick at the age of 12 and has moved around Ireland over the last 20 years, before settling in the capital. Now that her book is finished, she is looking forward to planning her upcoming wedding.
Movie: The Birdcage
This film never fails to make me laugh, and every time I watch it, I joke that I’ll write a backdated letter to The Academy for snubbing Robin Williams and Nathan Lane for their careerdefining performances. It is filled with oneliners that will make you laugh out loud 23 years later. “Oh God, I pierced the toast!”
Musical: Les Miserables
The revolutionary events in 1848 France mightn’t make for the most inspiring attitudes, but it serves as the backdrop for my favourite ever musical. I’ve seen the film version more times than I can count and I’ve been known to perform many an unsolicited rendition of On My Own after a few glasses of pinot noir. In 2016, I saw it live on Broadway, making for one of the best memories of my life. On days when you just need a pick-me-up, listening to One Day More always seems to do the job.
Magazine: Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair has always been my favourite magazine, but in 2007, the late Christopher Hitchens wrote a piece entitled ‘A Death in the Family’ that was so extraordinarily wellwritten and touched me so deeply, it made me want to become a journalist and hope that one day I could reach someone in the same way. My writing might be a sharp left from a man who was a voice of his generation, but that publication is a legacy to me for that reason alone.
Book: 1984
My introduction to dystopian storytelling came in the form of 1984, which I read while studying English at NUI Galway. I’ve read it a number of times and I can always rely on George Orwell to transport me to a different time and place, to the point where you can practically smell the despair. Seventy years on from its original 1949 publication date, it’s a reminder that life truly can imitate art.
TV: The Walking Dead
Back to the post-apocalyptic, The Walking Dead, the most watched series on American cable TV, has long been an antidote to a long day in the trenches of the newsroom. Andrew Lincoln (inset) plays a sheriff caught up in the zombie apocalypse.