Joseph O’Neill fears that a second presidential tenure for Donald Trump could be cataclysmic beyond most individual’s comprehension. O’Neill shares a home in the neighbourhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, with partner Rivka Galchen, a novelist and essayist, and their daughter, Georgie. Late in the afternoon, with spectacular weather and a faint wind wandering in through the open window, the family dogs, Nettle and Pom-Pom, assume their roles as pseudo-watchdogs, lounging on the window ledge.
Regarding the publication of his new novel, Godwin, his first in ten years, O’Neill is in a jovial mood. This mood is present even as he recovers from meniscus surgery, an aftereffect of his pursuit of cricket and football into his later years. Filling the kitchen with good humour, he recounts jokes, often at his own expense, still maintaining an air of earnestness about his world view, which, he admits, tends toward the grim.
The spectre of Trump’s potential return to the White House keeps O’Neill awake through the humid summer nights in New York, eliciting severe concerns over the future of his children’s inheritance, which appears dreary.
“Primarily, I believe his actions will be detrimental to the Democratic Party,” says O’Neill. There’s a plan, referred to as ‘Project 2025’, that Trump will unleash with a vengeance. He predicts there will be irreparable harm caused not only to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice but also a considerable blow to global faith in law and order. O’Neill anticipates dire consequences for the situation in Palestine, magnifying the current crisis tenfold.
He worries about the rise of a global despotic axis and disastrous outcomes for the global climate due to Trump’s policies. Referring to Trump as a madman, he imagines a world where wind turbines are banned, and Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas are replaced by younger, more authoritarian figures. O’Neill envisions a world where the Democratic Party is undermined, causing citizens to question their faith in the party’s abilities.
O’Neill, an author, is casually engaged in a discussion about his novel titled ‘Godwin’. The story depicts a comic representation of a potential football agent attempting to pursue the ‘spectre’ of a future African Lionel Messi – as visual glimpse captured by a low-quality video. O’Neill, currently residing in New York, relocated from London with his ex-wife Sally Singer, in the early part of this century. 2008 marked a pinnacle in his writing career when his third novel, ‘Netherland’, gained critical acclaim. The success of this captivating book, which intricately explores post 9/11 anxiety in New York through the lens of an immigrant cricket scene, propelled O’Neill into the limelight.
Born to a Turkish mother and an Irish father from Cork, who are currently living in London, O’Neill’s origins are diverse. He spent his formative years in the Netherlands and later pursued law in Cambridge. Despite a potentially prosperous career in law, the allure of writing novels was irresistible. This led to a somewhat mystified response to the question, “Where are you from?”. Nevertheless, O’Neill can now safely identify as a New Yorker.
Even so, his roots are undeniably in Cork, a sentiment evident as soon as one steps into his home. He warmly greets his guests, alongside his pets Nettle and Pom-Pom, before enquiring about the performance of the Rebels in the All-Ireland hurling championship. The conversation then devolves into discussions about hurling heritage and a famous image of Christy Ring and Robert F Kennedy taken at the Gaelic Park during the mid-1960s. He mentions with a dash of pride that his father once played alongside Ring. The discussion then shifts towards the present scenario of the game. He expresses curiosity over the existing standards of the game he has not witnessed in years, yet he is certain it would be astounding.
He pays close attention to a succinct report about the physical prowess and velocity of today’s hurling teams, as well as Limerick’s aspiration to achieve a fifth win. “So, it’s becoming similar to rugby. Astonishing. What attracted me to hurling – something I partook in now and again – was its resemblance to a simpler bat and ball game. It never felt like a highly athletic sport. Now, it appears it’s evolving into one,” he notes.
After expressing his views on the evolution of hurling, he discusses rugby’s transformation. He concurs with the notion that rugby has been stripped of its enchanting unpredictability. He reminisces about Irish rugby icons of the past: Ollie Campbell, Simon Geoghegan – a bright beacon during a dark period, and Hugo MacNeill. He occasionally crossed paths with MacNeill in Camden when he was a young lawyer at Lincoln’s Inn. His familiarity extends to the soccer teams during the Charlton era. His references to specific periods hint that he hasn’t visited Cork in quite some time.
“I haven’t been there for years,” he reveals. “When my grandmother passed away, I no longer had a home base to return to. I’m not acquainted with Dublin. My heart has always been in Cork. And, as you may be aware, Cork is the heart of the universe. To my relatives, we were always the foreign cousins. My father was the only one who completely left the city.”
His cousins may have pitied him for missing out on the complete enjoyment of residing in Cork. “Yes! One can’t have it all,” O’Neill jovially agrees.
Mark Wolfe, the protagonist in Godwin, has an intricate bond with his family and homeland. A mysterious character working in a tech-writing cooperative, his interest is aroused when his half-brother, Geoff, a London-born layabout and prospective football agent, persuades him to visit London. This excursion sparks an adventure which takes the reader to Benin, and most intriguingly, through the underbelly of Europe’s 1980s soccer scene via the narrative of Jean-Luc Lefebvre, an aging football enthusiast still in search of an outstanding career achievement.
Lakesha Williams, a character in Godwin who serves as an alternate point of view in the narrative, works alongside Wolfe at a Pittsburgh co-operative. She gets entangled in an internal political dispute which raises doubts about the soundness of their co-operative system. The plot intricacies involving proxy voting and committee conflict are as gripping as any adventure tale. The reader is left pondering the novel’s deeper meaning.
The author remarks, “Well, it’s essentially a tale of two brothers, along with a quest to uncover a fresh talent. It contains elements of a daring narrative, yet it also explores the contrasting concept of life not as a high-stakes adventure, but as a tale of collective care and shared values.”
O’Neill sees his book as an exhilarating expedition narratively, something he himself explored while teaching at Bard, a liberal arts institution located in New York’s upstate region. He cites one of his characters, Lakesha, as an epitome of cooperation though she gets blindsided by her own beliefs. It only takes one deceitful person to cause disruption. The plotline involves themes of colonialism fuelled by monetary greed. Eventually, Wolfe is drawn into his family’s affairs as they offer a financial incentive.
Despite this, O’Neill maintains that he does not have a definitive point of view. He aims to craft an engaging narrative that not only draws readers in but also challenges them to derive meaning from it. He believes that not all books provoke such inquisitiveness.
Godwin, as a novel, encompasses a vast array of profound themes such as white privilege, post-colonialism, family, and exile. Despite being generally praised, early reviews have occasionally displayed confusion over O’Neill’s exact intentions. Some critics expressed disappointment that more focus was not placed on the characters of Lefebvre and Wolfe within their football-related escapades because Lefebvre’s portrayal, vibrant and enchanting despite his faults, conjures memories of Philip Roth’s character, Mickey Sabbath, but with football as his fixation.
Familiar to all, the chap spending abundant time at the bar of the squash or golf club, seemingly without playing a round. He could be deemed off-putting, a sentiment echoed by Geoff. Having not set foot in London for a significant period, I’ve been tuning into Man United fan channels. Particularly notable is Rants, a black Cockney in Jamaican origins, with a reputation for stirring up controversy. His vernacular favoured expressions such as ‘fam’, ‘blood’, and ‘100 per cent’ being trademarks. Precisely the kind of lingo Geoff from 2015 liked, although it’s likely outdated now. Accordingly, Jean-Luc is remembered for his ongoing monologue.
O’Neill is oblivious to the existence of Brooklyn bars showcasing English Premier League matches, whether in jest or not. However, he stays updated with Manchester United’s progress through various online streams. Godwin’s literature is filled with nostalgic tributes to historic European nights in the north-west of the continent. As a child growing up in 1970s Netherlands, O’Neill found solace in frequent reruns of the LP recording of the 1968 European Cup final, adding that these European nights were quite a spectacle on the radio back then.
A remarkable event from his youth, six-year-old O’Neill wrote a disapproving letter to Frank O’Farrell, fellow Cork native and at the time embattled United manager, expressing dissatisfaction over the team’s performance. O’Neill nowadays laughs at the thought that his parents likely never posted the letter. His knowledge and enthusiasm towards Dutch football from the 1980s, both local and national, suggest his ability to effortlessly present a spontaneous lecture on the subject. While he has not visited Old Trafford, his student days at Cambridge offered multiple views of the Keane-Cantona United regime during matches at Highbury and Stamford Bridge. The history behind the naming of his youngest daughter Georgie, creator of Best, brings laughter to him, admitting that she’s unaware of the underlying footballing reference.
In his sphere of acquaintances features Sue Carr, currently the Lady Chief Justice, presiding over England and Wales’ judiciary. Carr’s family held pivotal roles in Arsenal Football Club during the era of local operations and ownership. Given his flawless public speaking skills and commitment to refined debates, it’s clear that a legal career would likely have furnished an easy path for O’Neill, who completed his pupillage under Tony Blair. Despite this, O’Neill opted to veer away from the projected path.
Frankly, studying law… It’s fundamentally based on examinations. One can absorb all the necessary information a few weeks prior, as my own experience clearly demonstrates. However, being a barrister is an entirely separate matter. I was fortunate to have worked with exceptional barristers, who have since become eminent in their field, and their lawyering acumen was on a completely different level from mine. Their unwavered dedication was clearly evident. They had completely devoted themselves to the profession, similar to how one would commit in upper echelons of sports teams. Over time, it is clear to see who would eventually hits the obstacles. I had established a decent practice, but it was far from being considered as the best.
When he relocated to New York, he had written two novels and one memoir, Blood-Dark Track, detailing the stories of his Turkish and Irish grandfathers, both of whom were revolutionaries. This work was critically acclaimed, but it did not exactly turn him into a famous and wealthy author. Neil Belton, an Irishman, served as the editor for this memoir, and he was a wonderful individual.
However, with no publisher or agent, he began to write a unique novel about cricket in New York after the events of 9/11. Living with his partner, Singer, and their three young sons, Malachy, Pascal, and Oscar in the Chelsea hotel was an interesting yet practical choice — one of the few rental options available to them given their lack of credit history upon their arrival.
Their reception varied — some liked them, some did not. The decision was somewhat whimsical. It turned out to be an excellent place to live and there were other families residing there as well. O’Neill shows a picture of his three sons in Chelsea, with one having completed his education and two presently studying in university. As for the hotel, the owners have moved on, the social experiment unintentionally conducted by the Bard family has concluded, and it is now a rather luxurious hotel.
When O’Neill’s ‘Netherland’ made a splash, his Chelsea lifestyle became part of the narrative. James Wood, the esteemed book critic from the New Yorker, praised the book, comparing it to a contemporary reimagining of ‘The Great Gatsby’. The novel received a nod from then president Barack Obama, and caused an uproar when it was controversially left out of the 2008 Booker shortlist, despite being a favourite. Little did anyone know, however, it would mark one of the final moments a piece of fictional writing would dominate New York’s cultural landscape. O’Neill questions whether book reviews still hold the explosive impact they did 16 years ago.
“I’m uncertain if they still do. I was fortunate with ‘Netherland’… it was embraced as a debut novel. Readers were engaged. But that was back in 2008… a time when books were predominantly read and the culture of reading wasn’t as in dire straits as it is today. Mobile phones had not yet taken over. Notably, Martin Amis’s commemoration is happening in London this week, which I regretfully can’t attend. But it feels like the end of a generation, that of the author as a significant cultural figure. Right now, in American mainstream culture, writers are likened to volleyball players or minor-league hockey athletes.”
O’Neill shares this casually. He reacted to the praise and attention from 2008 by only publishing a single novel in the ensuing 16 years, passing up invites to New York literary gatherings, and marching to the beat of his own drum. He isn’t confident that he’ll ever pen another novel.
“I am not a regular writer. Those who are, I admire. Take Colm Tóibín for instance. His continuous addition to the literary world is critical. I feel like for him, writing is almost a duty, a calling. My own sense of obligation to write… it’s not what it used to be.”
He speculates, “Trump will turn his attention to the large cities, leveraging local law enforcement’s support… The resultant chaos will be tenfold worse than anticipated. This won’t just impact the United States, but also the global structure. He is unhinged.”
O’Neill finds solace in the European soccer championship as he recovers from surgery. He uses the character Godwin to depict the pessimism and dishonesty that is at the centre of the top-tier game’s player recruitment and transfer process. Particularly criticising astronomical transfer rates and agents’ fees, he also points out the historical significance of Benin, the location he chooses for elusive Godwin, as being a part of West Africa’s old slave coast.
O’Neill doesn’t long for the 20th-century rendition of English football, instead, he appreciates the present-day version. “Modern football is appealing to me because it is of such high quality. I’m also aware that the whole world is slowly trending towards ruin, and I’m keen on maintaining my idealised connection with football. I refuse to let negativity seep in. There needs to be a ray of light. Thankfully, the game hasn’t succumbed to deception yet. Do I despise the Glazers? Undoubtedly. But numerous United fans are against them without truly comprehending their repugnance. They fail to grasp the depravity of the American billionaire class. Given enough money, they would transform Manchester United into a fast-food restaurant.”
It’s somewhat comical for O’Neill that his solace in football, especially Manchester United’s recent rocky journey, appears like a cruel cosmic prank. However, the beauty of football is the promise of a new season. Top players such as Best, Keane and Rooney, may come and go, but football – the club, the game – remains eternal.
Contrarily, O’Neill holds a gloomy outlook for the future of United States, particularly due its political landscape. He feels passionate about the current dejected status of the Democratic Party. “I was taken aback when I began monitoring the elected Democrats closely. Perhaps I was naive. Still, the level of corruption and their disconnection from their voters stunned me. They hide behind a facade of being good-faith public officers, while being oblivious to Republicans. Biden’s success was a result of the Blue Wave”, says O’Neill, attributing Biden’s victory to the grassroots movements, community-led small donations and voting revolution. He also praised the role of groups such as the Indivisibles and ActBlue, who had been instrumental in garnering over $4 billion in donations during the 2020 cycle.
“Yet, after Biden and his team ascended to power, they rejected the concept of being a movement-led party, which many believe to be the key to winning elections. Even following the Capitol siege on January 2021, they reverted to their old habits. Despite having good policies, and the fact that America boasts the world’s strongest economy, their understanding was fundamentally flawed, perhaps due to their long-established careers in Washington DC.
In the current digital age, America has become an exceptionally tumultuous nation. The doctrine upheld by Obama suggested that successful policies would naturally lead to political success, a sentiment that has proven false. While Obama’s charisma was undeniable, his achievements are largely forgotten, suggesting even he did not fully grasp the reasons behind his electoral victory. Biden also appears to lack this understanding. The political landscape is rife with career driven politicians who see challenging conventional norms and suggesting alternatives as threats.
When asked if he had any faith in any one political figure, his response was immediate: AOC, or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Congresswoman from New York City, whom he describes as brilliant. However, uncertain about her political trajectory due to her youth.
Outside, near the subway station at Kingston Avenue, the atmosphere is typical; bustling restaurants, bars, and shops with music wafting through the air, parents collecting their children from school, and smokers finding a moment of peace. All of this seems unaffected by the harsh heat, which only seems to slow everyone down a tad. Despite O’Neill’s scepticism about it remaining unaffected by future governments, Brooklyn continues to thrive as a haven of global modernism, ethnic diversity, and an array of poetry, both good and bad.”
“Visit Hungary and see how life unfolds there,” he suggests nonchalantly. Trump, he predicts, will delineate larger cities, backed by local law enforcement, to ferret out illegal immigrants. The repercussions, he fears, will not be a mere whisper of what the populace anticipates, but a raging storm tenfold. The effect won’t be restricted to American boundaries, but global order will tremble in its wake. This man, he accuses, is deranged, on par with the likes of Caligula occupying the Presidential Office. Counter-attacked by the Vichy Democrats, he imagines there will be civil unrest, but the political system, in its current form, lacks the machinery to halt the surge of tyranny. His concern deepens at the rampant authoritarianism at play.
The book ‘Godwin’, penned by Joseph O’Neill, is available under Fourth Estate’s banner.