Faculty Pursuits: Week of Dec. 4, 2023

Dr. Barry Devine (English) recently returned from New York City, where he gave a presentation, along with co-editor Ellen Scheible, about his upcoming book, Sally Rooney: Perspectives and Approaches. Barry and Ellen visited Columbia University, where they presented at the Irish Studies Seminar.

They discussed their different approaches to Rooney’s work and offered a glimpse into the upcoming collection.

This timely collection focuses on critical essays in the field of Irish literary studies and women's fiction, specifically contemporary work by Sally Rooney. In a time of rapid social and cultural change, Rooney’s novels carry intellectual and pedagogical currency in both the undergraduate classroom and the fields of Irish literary and critical studies. As a contemporary woman writer who produced fiction both before and after the current discourse on reproductive rights in Ireland, Rooney often presents as a beacon of radical inclusion or progressive change for young readers. Students identify with her subtle humor, sharp critiques of capitalism, and the sexual openness at the core of her provocative storylines and characters.

Barry noted that Columbia University also is generously providing funding to pay for the proofreading and indexing of the book.