Authors Sean Williams and Lillis Ó Laoire address larger questions about song, identity, and culture. They explore the deep ambivalence both the Irish and Irish-Americans felt toward the traditional aspects of their culture, examining other critical issues, such as gender and masculinity, authenticity, and contemporary marketing and consumption of sean-nós singing in both Ireland and the United States. Comingling Heaney's own words with the authors' comprehensive research and analysis, Bright Star of the West weaves a poignant critical biography of the man, the music, and his continuing legacy in Ireland and the United States.
Lillis 'O Laoire is an award winning Gaelic singer, scholar, and writer from the Gaelic speaking region of Donegal, Ireland. He teaches courses in Gaelic language, culture and folklore at the National University of Ireland, Galway, and his publications include On a Rock in the Middle of the Ocean: Songs and Singers in Tory Island, Ireland (2005).