Pull Me Up: A Memoir by Dan Barry

by Dan Barry

"New York Times columnist Dan Barry sings, to startling and profound effect, the song of his life. Beginning with his boyhood in a distant time when Kennedy was president and Mantle was God, Barry weaves the rhythms of Galway, Ireland - his mother's birthplace - and Deer Park, New York, to tell the story of an unforgettable American family." "From his comic recollections of a familiar yet distinctly quirky upbringing to his account of landing a job in one of the nation's greatest newsrooms, Barry writes so crisply that we feel his emotions as we recall our own. We remember again the timeless joy of playing for a Little League team, this one oddly called the Ducks, as well as the riotous indignities of being hazed on the high school bus. Later, we experience the thrilling responsibility of working as a small-town, New England reporter; the galvanizing fear of facing a life-threatening illness; and the spiritual calm that comes from just shooting baskets." As he tells his story, Barry draws poignant portraits of those who shaped his his mother, Noreen, passing on her father's stories of the banshee's wail as a blue veil of cigarette smoke envelops her; his father, Gene, railing against big-business conspiracies when he is not in the clutch of cluster migraines; his three siblings beside him in the back of the family station wagon, joining their parents in searching the night skies for the UFOs that they fervently believe will one day appear; and a young woman in upstate New York who answers a bold question from Barry that changes their lives.

Genres: Memoir, Coming Of Age, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Dan Barry is a longtime columnist and reporter for The New York Times and the author of four books, including the forthcoming “The Boys in the Bunkhouse: Servitude and Salvation in the Heartland.” Set to be released in May 2016, the book tells the story of dozens of men with intellectual disability who spent decades working at an Iowa turkey-processing plant, living in an old schoolhouse, and enduring exploitation and abuse – before finding justice and achieving freedom.
As the “This Land” columnist for the Times, Barry traveled to all 50 states, where he met the coroner from “The Wizard of Oz,” learned the bump-and-grind from a mostly retired burlesque queen, and was hit in the chest by an Asian carp leaping out of the Illinois River. He has since recovered -- though the condition of the carp remains unknown.
He has reported extensively on many topics, including the World Trade Center disaster and its aftermath and the damage to the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He has also been the City Hall bureau chief, the Long Island bureau chief, a sportswriter, a general assignment reporter, and, for three years, the “About New York” columnist – all for the Times.
Barry previously worked for the Journal Inquirer in Manchester, Conn., and for The Providence Journal, where he and two other reporters won a George Polk Award for an investigation into the causes of a state banking crisis. In 1994, he and the other members of the Journal’s investigative team won a Pulitzer Prize for a series of articles about Rhode Island’s court system; the series led to various reforms and the criminal indictment of the chief justice of the state’s Supreme Court.
Barry has also written “Pull Me Up: A Memoir”; “City Lights: Stories About New York,” a collection of his “About New York” columns; and “Bottom of the 33rd: Hope, Redemption, and Baseball’s Longest Game,” which received the 2012 PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing.

Reviews

[Conal · Rating 4 out of 5]

After I had finished reading this (excellent) novel, I thought to myself "what makes a a memoir special"? Some of the answers I came up with are - great prose, interesting people and identification with events. For me, Dan hit all of these with this novel of growing up Irish on Long Island (though the story really coould be about any working class family from any one of inumerable American towns). The fact that it was Long Island, where I also grew up just made it easier to identify with the people and places that Dan describes.

If you would like to read an entertaining novel of growing up in the 60's and 70's, I can recommend this one without any hesitation.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised me in how it moved me. I grew up in a Catholic family in Queens NY so many of these things were familiar. But as I reached the end I realized how much I felt for him with his family and health struggles. He has a great way of inviting you into his story and you feel like he's sharing his story over a pint and whether you agree or disagree with him, you are glad to have had a chance to hear him talk about it.

[Dennis R R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was going to give it four stars because so many tangents and details I didn’t always want, but in the end, this was his story, written in his voice, and conveyed his personality. An enjoyable read that was recommended to me as an example of a well written memoir.

[Paul Geoghegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good memoir, and have been enjoying Dan Barry’s columns in The New York Times for many years. I had a week to fill between two book club assignments and I spent the eeek wisely. Thank you, Mr. Barry.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great memoir.. excellent writing.. amazing family.. hard to put down! I have met Dan, he was a reporter at one time for the Providence Journal. He is a dear friend of friends of mine. Upon our meeting and spending time in Maine togetjher, he never mentioned this book, nor that he just finished writing another, which I have, b ut need to read. Currently as of March/APril 2010, he has written another.

His articles in the NY Timnes, which I follow are great also. He is a great writter, and although his family was a bit "different", itr was easy to relate to much of his story.

[Anne Twiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a memoir of charmed suburban life of the 60's and 70's. It's not the Brady Bunch. Dan Barry's childhood is much more quirky, painful and funny than any sitcom, and that's what I loved about it. He deals with tragedy and grief with his laser sharp wit. Rare are the times when he can't cut the pain with irony and humor. In those moments, he shoots baskets to soothe his soul. There's a dose of poetry and prayer in this journalist's story, and I laughed and cried throughout the story. Thanks to my college student daughter for sharing this gem from her Irish Memoir course.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've loved reading Dan Barry in The Times for years and since I'm going a whole United Kingdom thing this summer, this memoir of an Irish Catholic family fit right in. He was a reporter in Manchester CT for 4 years so I especially enjoyed that segment. Anyone who enjoys Barry's writing will enjoy this gem.

[Maryanne Kelleher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Read it about 8 years ago & I've recommended it several times. The author is a journalist from Providence RI, a place I love. He's Irish & the book is full of both sadness & hope. Beautiful memoir.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS NOT THAT GOOD AND NOT THAT BAD. I RECOMEND THIS BOOK TO YOUNG ADULTS BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME BAD WORDS IN THIS BOOK.

[Bryan]

Irish Catholic family on LI

[Emily Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is heartbreaking, but amazing... it read it in two days in a tent a few years ago, and some of the imagery still stays with me when I think about taking care of elderly parents.

[Janet Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favorites. Touching and gritty, Dan Barry's writing got to my soul. Each phrase is a masterful piece of a storytelling puzzle.

[Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I loved how he went through his entire life. I also loved his real-life portrayal of his battle with cancer.