Monthly Archives: August 2026

First Confession



Originally published in 1950, Frank O’Connor’s “First Confession” uses humor and playfulness to tell the story of a young boy’s fears over going to give his first ever confession at Church. This wonderful story sharply exhibits O’Connor’s wit and shows real sympathy for Jackie, his seven-year-old protagonist.


The Genius



Among his many talents, Irish writer Frank O’Connor had a particular gift for showing the world through the eyes of young, precocious, often naive protagonists, like Larry Delaney of his 1954 story “The Genius.” Larry wants to be the town’s first proper genius and win the affections of Una Dwyer — first, he just has to find out where babies come from.