Second Summit
What Kind of Paradise, Dublin Delicacies, U2, Rodri, Pint Picture
Welcome to my 195th newsletter. This issue includes highlights of my second time attending Knowledge Summit Dublin, a novel loosely based on the Unabomber, our last meals in Dublin, a hugely popular Irish band, the winner of the Golden Ball, and a Hayes Head. I hope you like the picks and pics.
I saw two great acts at Sonic Lunch in Ann Arbor on July 9, which was held at The Michigan Theater instead of the usual outdoors location. The Rebel Eves, the trio that includes Katie Greene (formerly Katie Pederson), opened. I was only able to catch their last song due to a traffic jam coming into town.
Theo Katzman was the headliner. Theo has a strong following in Ann Arbor, and the theater was nearly full for the free show. His band included guitarist and singer Packy Lundholm.
Packy also accompanied one of my favorite artists, May Erlewine, in a sold-out show at Trinity House Theatre in Livonia on July 15. I bought May’s latest CD Receipts from her child Zephyr, whom I knew as Iris when May performed in our back yard in 2022.
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Fave Five 195: Second Summit
Montana Madman (What Kind of Paradise), Dublin Delicacies (Ryan’s Restaurant, Keogh’s Café, Wiley Fox), Bono’s Band (U2), Spanish Soccer Star (Rodri), and a Pint Picture.
Fave Five List: Five Favorite Dublin Doings
The third Knowledge Summit Dublin was a great success. I presented remotely for the first one and was fortunate to attend the next two in person.
Here are five highlights of our last five days in Dublin.
Friday, June 26: Literary Walking Tour of Trinity College and Live Theatre Experience
Barb and I took the tour and watched the play about Oscar Wilde at Trinity College.
Sunday, June 28: Dublin Bay Boat Tour
Barb and I joined other Knowledge Summit Dublin attendees for a jolting boat ride. It’s a good thing we had donned protective covering before departing, as we were splashed pretty well when the boat sped up. Last year I got drenched on the hike in the Wicklow Mountains, and this year I found a new way to get wet.
Monday, June 29: KM 101 Workshop at Knowledge Summit Dublin
I was joined by my mentee Amy Carlton for this well-attended workshop. I am very pleased that Amy and I will reprise it at KMWorld 2026 in Washington, DC on November 16.
Tuesday, June 30: Gravity Bar in Guinness Storehouse
Knowledge Summit Dublin threw a gala farewell party at the Guinness Storehouse. Barb and I enjoyed the food, drink, and camaraderie. And we saw a huge rainbow and a beautiful sunset from the elevated windows of the Gravity Bar.
Irish Music in the Gravity Bar
At last year’s farewell party at The Old Storehouse Bar and Restaurant in Temple Bar, I requested “Haste to the Wedding.” I tried again this year, and the band nicely accommodated me.
Book Best Bet
What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown
Barb’s book club read this, and I usually follow suit if she liked it. It is well-written and fast-paced, and I liked the details about the nascent World Wide Web.
From Amazon: A teenage girl breaks free from her father’s world of isolation to discover that her whole life is a lie in this “absorbing and well-crafted” (The Washington Post) novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Things and Watch Me Disappear.
A mesmerizing blend of coming-of-age and psychological suspense, set against the birth of the internet age.—People
The first thing you have to understand is that my father was my entire world.
Growing up in an isolated cabin in Montana in the mid-1990s, Jane knows only the world that she and her father live in: the woodstove that heats their home, the vegetable garden where they try to eke out a subsistence, the books of nineteenth-century philosophy that her father gives her to read in lieu of going to school. Her father is elusive about their pasts, giving Jane little beyond the facts that they once lived in the Bay Area and that her mother died in a car accident, the crash propelling him to move Jane off the grid to raise her in a Waldenesque utopia.
As Jane becomes a teenager she starts pushing against the boundaries of her restricted world. She begs to accompany her father on his occasional trips away from the cabin. But when Jane realizes that her devotion to her father has made her an accomplice to a horrific crime, she flees Montana to the only place she knows to look for answers about her mysterious past, and her mother’s death: San Francisco. It is a city in the midst of a seismic change, where her quest to understand herself will force her to reckon with both the possibilities and the perils of the fledgling internet, and where she will come to question everything she values.
In this sweeping, suspenseful novel from bestselling author Janelle Brown, we see a young woman on a quest to understand how we come to know ourselves. It is a bold and unforgettable story about parents and children; nature and technology; innocence and knowledge; the losses of our past and our dreams for the future.
Restaurant Recommendations
Dublin Delicacies
At the end of nearly a month in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland, we enjoyed a few final meals in Dublin before returning home.
Ryan’s Restaurant & Grill Room
My conference co-presenter Amy Carlton generously treated Barb and me to dinner at this steakhouse near our hotel.
Oysters
Porterhouse Steak: 32-ounce best of both worlds: filet and striploin — this was big enough for the three of us to share
Gelato
Before the Trinity College tour and play, we dined outside for lunch at this nearby spot. Two Michigan State alums sat down next to us.
Chicken and Bacon Open Sandwich
Parma Ham and Avocado Open Sandwich: cured ham slices, fresh avocado, rocket, cheese, and walnuts
Tray Bake and Specialty Cake
A place to eat located in The Sound House, Dublin’s hottest alternative spot for live music.
Classic Burger: 2 Smashed Beef Patties, American Cheese, Gherkins, Ketchup and Yellow Mustard
Onion Rings: Deep Fried in Beer Batter
Side Salad: Cos Lettuce, Grated Carrots, Chopped Gherkins, Pickled Red Onions with Honey & Mustard Dressing
Marvelous Musicians
While in Ireland, in addition to traditional Irish music, we also heard more contemporary songs from Irish bands. Recordings and covers of The Cranberries and U2 were the most frequently played.
I first heard “New Year’s Day” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday” on the radio, and later “Pride (In the Name of Love)” on the 1989 compilation album Greenpeace: Rainbow Warriors. My friend Scott Hanson (we met on Cayamo 2009; he manages merch for Cayamo and the Zac Brown Band) tells the story of how he booked U2 for a December 7, 1981 show at Dooley’s in East Lansing (which became Harper’s). Stories about that show fail to credit Scott, but he is the one who took a chance on booking U2 before they achieved their ultimate fame.
From Wikipedia: U2 is an Irish rock band from Dublin, formed in 1976. The group consists of Bono (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), the Edge (lead guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion). Initially rooted in post-punk, U2’s musical style has evolved throughout their career, yet has maintained an anthemic quality built on Bono’s expressive vocals and the Edge’s effects-based guitar textures. Their lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal and sociopolitical themes. Popular for their live performances, the group have staged several ambitious and elaborate tours over their career. The band formed as teenagers while attending Mount Temple Comprehensive School. In March 1978, the group changed their name to “U2”. Steve Averill, a punk rock musician (with the Radiators) and family friend of Clayton’s, had suggested six potential names from which the band chose “U2” for its ambiguity and open-ended interpretations, and because it was the name that they disliked the least.
David Howell Evans (born August 8, 1961), better known by his stage name the Edge is a British-born Irish musician and songwriter best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist of the rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 14 studio albums with them as well as one solo record. The Edge’s understated style of guitar playing, a signature of U2’s music, is distinguished by chiming timbres, use of rhythmic delay, drone notes, harmonics, and an extensive use of effects units. The Edge was born in England to a Welsh family, and was raised in Ireland after the Evans family moved there. Early in the band’s career, Evans was given the nickname “the Edge” by members of the Lypton Village surrealist street gang to which Bono belonged. The nickname is commonly believed to be derived from the angular shape of Evans’ head. However, the origin of the name is disputed and other theories include a description of his guitar playing and his preference for not becoming fully involved and therefore remaining on the edge of things.
Paul David Hewson, KBE OL (born May, 10 1960) is known by his stage name Bono. During his childhood and adolescence, he and his friends were part of a surrealist street gang called “Lypton Village”. The gang had a ritual of nickname-giving. Bono had several names: first, he was “Steinhegvanhuysenolegbangbangbang”, then just “Huyseman”, followed by “Houseman”, “Bon Murray”, “Bono Vox of O’Connell Street”, and finally just “Bono”. “Bono Vox” is an alteration of Bonavox, a Latin phrase which translates to “good voice”. It is said he was nicknamed “Bono Vox” by his friend Gavin Friday. He initially disliked the name; however, when he learned it translated to “good voice”, he accepted it. He has been known as “Bono” since the late 1970s. Although he uses Bono as his stage name, close family and friends also refer to him as Bono, including fellow band members.
Street of Dreams
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
New Year’s Day
Sunday Bloody Sunday
My Playlist
Sports Star
.I was impressed that Rodri of Spain won the Golden Ball as the World Cup's best player, despite having no goals and no assists in the tournament that ended on Sunday. His form, tactical intelligence, and ability to control matches make him the undisputed top midfielder of his generation.
He won the award for captaining Spain's run to their second World Cup title. Having won the Ballon d’Or in 2024, the Golden Ball completes Rodri’s return to the top of the sport after rupturing his right ACL almost two years ago.
The Manchester City midfielder didn’t have a goal or an assist in the tournament, but his passing and controlling the possession are central to the way Spain plays. He became just the 11th man to win the World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and Ballon d’Or.
From Wikipedia: Rodrigo Hernández Cascante (born June 22, 1996 in Madrid), known simply as Rodri or Rodrigo, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and captains the Spain national team. Widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world, he is known for his passing, composure, playmaking and physical attributes. He is one of eleven players to have won the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, and Ballon d’Or in their career.
Rodri won the UEFA Nations League in 2023, being named the best player of the finals tournament, and was an integral part in Spain’s victory at Euro 2024, for which he was named Player of the Tournament. Combining his international success with City’s achievements, Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d’Or, becoming the first defensive midfielder since Lothar Matthäus in 1990 to receive the award, as well as the second Spanish player and the first City player to do so. At the 2026 World Cup, he won the Golden Ball as Spain claimed their second title.
The Art of Rodri
Picture Pun
Barb’s got a good head on her shoulders.
