First-Year Writing Seminar (101-8-23)

Topic

The Irish Culture Boom

Instructors

Isabel Griffith-Gorgati

Meeting Info

University Hall 018 English: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

"The Green Wave is rolling into Hollywood," Irish actress Carrie Crowley declared in 2023, the year Irish films achieved a record-breaking number of Academy Award nominations. And the Green Wave is not limited to movies: from Sally Rooney's wildly successful novels to the globally beloved TV show Derry Girls, to musical sensations like Hozier, the small island's cultural appeal is bigger than ever. What is driving this boom in the international popularity of Irish culture - is it "perceptions of civic decline in the US and UK," as film scholar Diane Negra argues, or the transnational resonances of Irish struggles? What can we learn about Ireland's history and culture by engaging with its fashionable exports, and what can those of us outside Ireland learn about ourselves? What does it mean to read these objects as both local and global? With these questions and more in mind, we will explore a mixture of Irish fiction, music, TV, and film from the last decade. Students will develop a final paper on a piece of Irish media of their choosing.

Class Attributes

WCAS Writing Seminar

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Weinberg First Year Seminars are only available to first-year students.