Why Sinéad O'Connor Matters by Allyson McCabe

She compares O’Connor to Madonna, another superstar who challenged the Catholic Church, and Prince, who wrote her biggest hit and allegedly assaulted her. McCabe details O’Connor’s childhood abuse, her initial success, and the backlash against her radical politics without shying away from the difficult issues her career raises. Allyson McCabe believes it’s time to reassess our old judgments about Sinéad O’Connor and to expose the machinery that built her up and knocked her down.Īddressing triumph and struggle, sound and story, Why Sinéad O’Connor Matters argues that its subject has been repeatedly manipulated and misunderstood by a culture that is often hostile to women who speak their minds (in O’Connor’s case, by shaving her head, championing rappers, and tearing up a picture of the pope on live television). For many people-including, for years, the author-what they knew of O’Connor stopped there. Two years later, an appearance on Saturday Night Live turned her into a scandal. In 1990, Sinéad O’Connor’s video for “Nothing Compares 2 U” turned her into a superstar. Face coverings are required of all staff and attendees when inside the store.

To ensure the safety and comfort of everyone in attendance, the following Covid-19 safety protocols will be in place at all of our Harvard Book Store events until further notice: Harvard Book Store is excited to be back to in-person programming. Harvard Book Store welcomes writer, reporter, and producer ALLYSON MCCABE for a discussion of her new book Why Sinéad O’Connor Matters. She will be joined in conversation by GEOFF EDGERS, national arts reporter for The Washington Post.

Why Sinéad O'Connor Matters by Allyson McCabe