’Berg professor’s Irish literary scholarship spans James Joyce, Sally Rooney

Students and faculty are often intimidated by the perceived challenge — and seeming inaccessibility — of studying the works of Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic James Joyce. A recently released book co-edited by Heidelberg English professor Dr. Barry Devine and Dr. Ellen Scheible of Bridgewater State University is changing that perception.

Teaching James Joyce in the Twenty-First Century, released in December, offers practical, innovative approaches to teaching Joyce’s work that are relevant, engaging, and accessible for contemporary learners. The book has earned praise from reviewers, who call it “a riveting collection” and “a strong selection of essays.”

The book’s impact has extended beyond academic reviews. Teaching James Joyce in the Twenty-First Century was recently featured on The New Books Podcast, where host Dan Moran interviewed Barry and Ellen about the collection and several of its featured chapters.

Among its champions is scholar Edna Duffy, author of The Subaltern Ulysses, who praised the collection as “exuberant” and overflowing with “lively ideas on myriad aspects of Joyce pedagogy.” Duffy writes that the book provides “exciting” pathways for teaching Joyce in settings ranging from high school and college classrooms to libraries, senior centers, Zoom rooms, and even prisons.

The collection features 19 contributors, including Barry and Ellen, who share pedagogical approaches to teaching Joyce’s works. Together, the essays seek to demystify an author often considered difficult and offer practical teaching strategies for making Joyce more approachable.

The co-authors’ collaboration also continues. On June 9, the pair will release a second edited volume, Sally Rooney: Perspectives and Approaches, the first collection of academic research focused on the work of contemporary Irish author Sally Rooney.

According to Barry, the book “is the first collection of academic research on the works of Irish author Sally Rooney, one of the top-selling novelists in the world today.”

Rooney’s novels, including Normal People and Conversations with Friends, have been adapted into successful television series and helped establish her reputation as a defining literary voice of her generation, known for sharp social insight and explorations of relationships, politics, and contemporary life.

In addition to co-editing the collection, Barry contributed a chapter reflecting on his experience teaching Rooney’s work in his Studies in Literature by Women course at Heidelberg in 2023.