In "Finding Ireland: A Poet's Exploration of Irish Literature and Culture," Richard Tillinghast explores how he came to be an Irish resident and how Irish culture has affected him as well as the nation's famous literary canon. The foundation he lays (about Ireland's changes as well as Irish-American myths about Ireland) are somewhat familiar, and Tillinghast's forays into architecture and music feel a bit strained. "Finding Ireland" is at its best when Tillinghast celebrates the likes of Yeats, as well as contemporary writers such as William Trevor and Brian Friel. ($25 / 272 pages / Notre Dame Press )