In recent semesters, the library invited small groups of undergraduate students to curate scholarly book displays around a particular theme in connection with a particular course or program. Books chosen for a display that the library didn't own were ordered by the library. The library hopes such displays will generate more student interest in our collection while also promoting the wide range of interesting courses offered at SJU.
ENG 150: National Identity in Modern Irish Literature
In this course, we will consider the constituting factors of Irish nationalisms both in the early 20th century and now, in the 21st century, as well as a wide variety of perspectives that Irish nationalisms have attracted. With that in mind, in the first half of the semester we will take an in-depth look at the early 20th-century Ireland and cultural nationalism in order to understand how the newly independent Republic envisioned itself and defined the Irish nation. In the second half of the semester we will compare the Ireland of Irish Cultural Revival to the 21st-century Ireland – an increasingly multicultural island nation that is now dealing with an influx of immigrants, Brexit and the everyday problems of our increasingly globalized world. As we move into the era of globalization, our focus will be on the ways in which immigration, racial diversity and growing diaspora have redefined the Irish national psyche articulating how texts in different genres work.
Kersti Powell, D.Phil.
Assistant Professor
Department of English
