Why Sinéad O’Connor Matters is a reflection on the singer's cultural significance and context, published just months before her untimely death. Allyson McCabe argues what I think a lot of people have come to realise in recent years: that O'Connor was more sinned against than sinning, and that many of the stances she was condemned for at the height of her fame have since been vindicated. McCabe is empathetic but clear-eyed about O'Connor, her strengths and her imperfections. The strongest parts of the book are where McCabe digs into how her fellow journalists failed in their jobs—failed to treat O'Connor as a human being—and quotes some truly godawful interviews, mostly by men.

I do think that McCabe should have been more intentional as defining the scope of the book as Why Sinéad O’Connor Matters in an American Context. McCabe touches on some of O'Connor's actions in the late 90s (like her ordination in that Catholic splinter group) that drew attention, but devotes far less time to them and doesn't at all get into how they fit into Irish cultural/political events of the time. I remember vividly watching the Late Late Show episode where she told Gay Byrne that she was now Mother Bernadette Mary and the huge reaction to it!

But on the whole, McCabe doesn't seem to have more than a cursory knowledge of Ireland. I listened to this on audiobook, and not only does McCabe not know how to pronounce Irish names—O'Connor's sister Eimear is referred to as "Ay-MARE" throughout—but when she first mentions O'Connor's former manager, Fachtna Ó Ceallaigh, McCabe pauses to say that since his name is difficult for her to pronounce, she's just going to anglicise it to O'Kelly throughout. That's some Anglo-American cultural hegemonic BS, and surely if McCabe knew something about Irish history she'd know about the political resonances and sensitivities of language. ( )

This is a powerful and thoughtfully written study of O'Connor, her complicated life and her magnificent artistry. McCabe provides important context for O'Connor's life , the songs she wrote and the often questionable decisions she made. She also makes a strong argument for empathy in criticism, seeing it as a strength rather than a weakness. In light of O'Connor's suicide last year, this sometimes felt like a very painful book to to read but it's also a necessary one. ( )

I was so grieved to hear of the recent death of Sinead O’Connor that I’ve been driving around listening to “I Do No Want What I Haven’t Got “. I was watching live when she ripped the Pope’s picture. In hindsight she was right about everything and didn’t deserve the abuse she received. This is a succinct biography that fills in the gaps of her life. I had no idea about the childhood abuse she suffered or the other private details of her life. She still matters and this bio is well worth the read.

"...but she has the right to be imperfect..." ( )

This was a nice little start into the life of Sinead O'Connor. I could tell the author was a huge fan and very passionate about her subject. If you just want the cliffs notes of O'Connor's life then I recommend this before diving into the actual bio written by Sinead herself.