Frank_NP1 McCourt_NP1 ,_, Author_NN1 of_IO ?_? 
Angela_NP1 's_GE Ashes_NN2 ,_, Dies_VVZ For_IF most_DAT of_IO his_APPGE life_NN1 ,_, until_CS he_PPHS1 was_VBDZ well_JJ into_II his_APPGE 60s_MC2 ,_, Frank_NP1 McCourt_NP1 was_VBDZ n't_XX a_AT1 writer_NN1 ;_; he_PPHS1 was_VBDZ a_AT1 teacher_NN1 ._. 
But_CCB it_PPH1 is_VBZ as_II a_AT1 writer_NN1 ,_, the_AT author_NN1 of_IO the_AT wildly_RR successful_JJ memoir_NN1 Angela_NP1 's_GE Ashes_NN2 ,_, that_CST he_PPHS1 will_VM be_VBI remembered_VVN ._. 
He_PPHS1 died_VVD on_II July_NPM1 19_MC in_II New_NP1 York_NP1 of_IO meningitis_NN1 ._. 
He_PPHS1 was_VBDZ 78_MC years_NNT2 old_JJ ._. 
McCourt_NP1 was_VBDZ born_VVN in_II Brooklyn_NP1 in_II 1930_MC --_NN1 he_PPHS1 would_VM later_RRR ,_, much_RR later_RRR ,_, memorably_RR describe_VV0 the_AT scene_NN1 of_IO his_APPGE conception_NN1 in_II his_APPGE memoir_NN1 --_NN1 but_CCB he_PPHS1 grew_VVD up_RP in_II Ireland_NP1 ._. 
His_APPGE parents_NN2 were_VBDR both_RR Irish_JJ immigrants_NN2 ,_, and_CC they_PPHS2 moved_VVD back_RP there_RL ,_, to_II Limerick_NP1 ,_, in_II an_AT1 effort_NN1 to_TO stay_VVI ahead_II21 of_II22 McCourt_NP1 's_GE father_NN1 's_GE drinking_NN1 problem_NN1 ._. 
They_PPHS2 did_VDD n't_XX succeed_VVI ._. 
Malachy_NN1 ,_, Frank_NP1 's_GE father_NN1 ,_, worked_VVD intermittently_RR as_II a_AT1 laborer_NN1 ,_, but_CCB he_PPHS1 drank_VVD constantly_RR ._. 
McCourt_NP1 was_VBDZ the_AT first_MD of_IO seven_MC children_NN2 whom_PNQO their_APPGE mother_NN1 Angela_NP1 cared_VVD for_IF indomitably_RR ._. 
But_CCB even_RR she_PPHS1 was_VBDZ no_AT match_NN1 for_IF the_AT grinding_JJ poverty_NN1 that_CST Malachy_NP1 's_GE drinking_NN1 brought_VVN upon_II the_AT family_NN1 ,_, and_CC for_IF the_AT cold_NN1 and_CC damp_NN1 of_IO Limerick_NP1 ._. 
They_PPHS2 became_VVD so_RG poor_JJ that_CST three_MC of_IO the_AT children_NN2 --_JJ twin_NN1 brothers_NN2 and_CC a_AT1 baby_NN1 girl_NN1 --_NN1 died_VVD of_IO disease_NN1 and_CC malnutrition_NN1 ._. 
"_" It_PPH1 was_VBDZ ,_, of_RR21 course_RR22 ,_, a_AT1 miserable_JJ childhood_NN1 ,_, "_" McCourt_NP1 famously_RR wrote_VVD in_II Angela_NP1 's_GE Ashes_NN2 ,_, in_II a_AT1 passage_NN1 that_CST 's_VBZ worth_II quoting_VVG in_RR21 full_RR22 ._. 
"_" The_AT happy_JJ childhood_NN1 is_VBZ hardly_RR worth_II your_APPGE while_NNT1 ._. 
Worse_JJR than_CSN the_AT ordinary_JJ miserable_JJ childhood_NN1 is_VBZ the_AT miserable_JJ Irish_JJ childhood_NN1 ,_, and_CC worse_JJR yet_RR is_VBZ the_AT miserable_JJ Irish_JJ Catholic_JJ childhood_NN1 ._. 
People_NN everywhere_RL brag_VV0 and_CC whimper_VV0 about_II the_AT woes_NN2 of_IO their_APPGE early_JJ years_NNT2 ,_, but_CCB nothing_PN1 can_VM compare_VVI with_IW the_AT Irish_JJ version_NN1 :_: the_AT poverty_NN1 ;_; the_AT shiftless_JJ loquacious_JJ father_NN1 ;_; the_AT pious_JJ defeated_JJ mother_NN1 moaning_VVG by_II the_AT fire_NN1 ;_; pompous_JJ priests_NN2 ,_, bullying_VVG schoolmasters_NN2 ;_; the_AT English_NN1 and_CC all_DB the_AT terrible_JJ things_NN2 they_PPHS2 did_VDD to_II us_PPIO2 for_IF 800_MC long_JJ years_NNT2 ._. "_" 
What_DDQ kept_VVD McCourt_NP1 alive_JJ then_RT ,_, and_CC would_VM make_VVI him_PPHO1 as_II a_AT1 writer_NN1 ,_, was_VBDZ his_APPGE humor_NN1 and_CC his_APPGE love_NN1 of_IO words_NN2 ._. 
"_" In_II reality_NN1 ,_, our_APPGE life_NN1 was_VBDZ worse_JJR than_CSN Frank_NP1 wrote_VVD ,_, "_" said_VVD McCourt_NP1 's_GE brother_NN1 ,_, also_RR called_VVN Malachy_NN1 ._. 
"_" Insane_JJ outbreaks_NN2 of_IO laughter_NN1 saved_VVD us_PPIO2 ._. "_" 
McCourt_NP1 once_RR said_VVD that_CST as_II a_AT1 child_NN1 he_PPHS1 dreamed_VVD of_IO being_VBG a_AT1 prison_NN1 inmate_NN1 in_II the_AT U.S._NP1 ,_, for_IF the_AT food_NN1 and_CC warmth_NN1 ._. 
Instead_RR he_PPHS1 became_VVD a_AT1 hospital_NN1 inmate_NN1 :_: he_PPHS1 caught_VVD typhoid_NN1 at_II age_NN1 10_MC and_CC spent_VVD three_MC months_NNT2 well_RR fed_VVN in_II a_AT1 well-heated_JJ hospital_NN1 ._. 
The_AT hospital_NN1 also_RR had_VHN a_AT1 well-stocked_JJ library_NN1 ._. 
It_PPH1 was_VBDZ there_RL that_CST he_PPHS1 read_VVD his_APPGE first_MD lines_NN2 of_IO Shakespeare_NP1 and_CC began_VVD a_AT1 lifetime_NNT1 as_II a_AT1 devoted_JJ reader_NN1 ._. 
Malachy_JJ senior_JJ was_VBDZ a_AT1 tender_JJ father_NN1 at_II times_NNT2 ,_, and_CC a_AT1 dazzling_JJ storyteller_NN1 ,_, but_CCB he_PPHS1 was_VBDZ dominated_VVN by_II his_APPGE addiction_NN1 to_II alcohol_NN1 and_CC eventually_RR all_RR21 but_RR22 abandoned_VVD the_AT family_NN1 ._. 
At_II 11_MC ,_, McCourt_NP1 became_VVD their_APPGE principal_JJ source_NN1 of_IO income_NN1 ,_, stealing_VVG and_CC working_VVG odd_JJ jobs_NN2 ._. 
Although_CS he_PPHS1 quit_VVD school_NN1 ,_, he_PPHS1 continued_VVD to_TO read_VVI whenever_RRQV he_PPHS1 could_VM ._. 
At_II 19_MC ,_, he_PPHS1 returned_VVD to_II the_AT U.S._NP1 ,_, served_VVN in_II the_AT Army_NN1 during_II the_AT Korean_JJ War_NN1 and_CC earned_VVD a_AT1 degree_NN1 at_II New_NP1 York_NP1 University_NN1 under_II the_AT GI_NN1 Bill_NN1 ._. 
Although_CS he_PPHS1 kept_VVD a_AT1 journal_NN1 and_CC dabbled_VVD in_II journalism_NN1 and_CC the_AT theater_NN1 ,_, McCourt_NP1 spent_VVD most_DAT of_IO the_AT next_MD 30_MC years_NNT2 teaching_VVG English_JJ and_CC creative_JJ writing_NN1 in_II New_NP1 York_NP1 City_NN1 schools_NN2 for_IF a_AT1 modest_JJ salary_NN1 ._. 
He_PPHS1 had_VHD a_AT1 natural_JJ flair_NN1 for_IF it_PPH1 ._. 
