Allen, Nicholas
TR 9:35 AM
Park Hall 0145
ENGL4680
Modern Irish Literature
Professor Allen
9.35 am
Park Hall 0145
TR
Spring 25
Syllabus
Contemporary Irish Literature is a thriving, experimental field. A century after Yeats and Joyce the range of writing has diversified and expanded, in particular in poetry, fiction and the short-story. This course explores a range of recent authors and books with a view to understanding their formal innovations, their social settings and their sense of planetary questions like climate change and migration, all in context of the island of Ireland's own changing cultural history. As well as reading contemporary work we will watch some television and film. The list of authors we will read includes Sally Rooney, Anna Burns, Seamus Heaney, Ronan Hession, Louise Kennedy, Sinead Morrissey, and Paul Muldoon. There will be the option to write a creative or a critical work in response to the class, and there will be plenty of opportunity for conversation.
Please be aware that this class will engage with the complexities of Irish culture and history, in particular of that late twentieth century period of civil war called the Troubles.
Course Objectives and Expectations
During this course each students is expected to
Texts
Poetry and film will be supplied for class. Prose texts you will need are:
Anna Burns, Milkman
Ronan Hession, Leonard and Hungry Paul
Louise Kennedy, Trespasses
Sally Rooney, Normal People
Assignments
End of semester assignment based on reading and research during class. There will be a range of projects and essays to undertake, which we will discuss when we meet.
Grading
Final grade given on end of term assignment based on class reading and research. Creative projects also encouraged and considered according to your interest.
You are reminded to follow all appropriate UGA policies regarding plagiarism and any other relevant issues.
The university academic honesty policy is here.
We will talk about Generative AI when we meet. The university’s resource page on that subject is here. AI is not permitted for use in this class except by my advance permission.
If you’d like to access the university’s well-being resources, they are here.
If you would like to talk to me outside class please email Calli Hester for an appointment. Calli’s email is callihester@uga.edu
I am available by email na@uga.edu
Class schedule
Tuesday Jan 7
Introduction
Thursday Jan 9
Introduction
Tuesday Jan 14
Belfast (film)
Thursday Jan 16
Belfast (film)
Tuesday Jan 21
Northern Poetry (posted on ELC)
Thursday Jan 23
Northern Poetry (posted on ELC)
Tuesday Jan 28
Louise Kennedy, Trespasses
Thursday Jan 30
Louise Kennedy, Trespasses
Tuesday Feb 4
Derry Girls (Netflix)
Thursday Feb 6
Anna Burns, Milkman
Tuesday Feb 11
Anna Burns, Milkman
Thursday Feb 13
Anna Burns, Milkman
Tuesday Feb 18
Tim Robinson, Connemara (film)
Thursday Feb 20
Tim Robinson, Connemara (film)
Tuesday Feb 25
Archipelago: A Reader (posted on ELC)
Thursday Feb 27
Reading day
Tuesday Mar 4
Spring Break - NO CLASS
Thursday Mar 6
Spring Break - NO CLASS
Tuesday Mar 11
Archipelago: A Reader (posted on ELC)
Thursday Mar 13
Archipelago: A Reader (posted on ELC)
Bonus St Patrick’s Day quiz
Tuesday Mar 18
Sally Rooney, Normal People
Thursday Mar 20
Sally Rooney, Normal People
Tuesday Mar 25
Ronan Hession, Leonard and Hungry Paul
Thursday Mar 27
Ronan Hession, Leonard and Hungry Paul
Tuesday April 1
Discussion, reflection, ideas for projects and essays
Thursday April 3
Discussion, reflection, ideas for projects and essays
Tuesday Apr 8
Contemporary Poets (posted on ELC)
Thursday Apr 10
Contemporary Poets (posted on ELC)
Tuesday Apr 15
Contemporary Poets (posted on ELC)
Thursday Apr 17
Revision of projects and essays
Tuesday Apr 22
Revision of projects and essays
Thursday Apr 24
Revision of projects and essays
Monday 5 May
Final essays due