Mairéad Byrne began her career in Dublin, writing for newspapers, magazines, radio and theater. Her first book, Joyce—A Clew, was a short experimental biography of James Joyce, with illustrations by Henry J. Sharpe. Since then she has published six collections of poetry, including The Best of (What’s Left of) Heaven (Publishing Genius, 2010/2019), Famosa na sua cabeça (Dobra Editorial, 2015) and You Have to Laugh: New & Selected Poems (Barrow Street, 2013), nine poetry chapbooks and three collaborative books with visual artists. Recent and forthcoming work includes essays in David Jhave Johnston’s ReRites: Raw Data/Response (Anteism 2019), A Line of Tiny Zeros in the Fabric: Essays on the Poetry of Maurice Scully, edited by Ken Keating (Shearsman, 2020) and a poem stamped into the sidewalk (City of Providence Art in City Life/Sidewalk Tattoo Project).
She earned a Higher Diploma in Education (First Class Hons) from Trinity College Dublin and an MA in American Poetry & Creative Writing (Poetry) and PhD in Theory & Cultural Studies, both from Purdue University. In 2022, she was awarded an MA in Gaelic Literature (First Class Hons) by the Department of Modern Irish, University College Cork. She has completed residencies in the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig, Constance Saltonstall Foundation, Siena Art Institute, Seoul Art Space Yeonhui, Storyknife and the Cill Rialaig Project.
Since coming to RISD in 2002, she has designed and taught undergraduate courses in Visual Poetry, Sound Poetry, Digital Poetics, Material Poetics and Contemporary Poetry; Beginning and Advanced Poetry Writing Workshops; and the First-Year Literature Seminar. Recent graduate courses include Visual Poetry Studio (Illustration) and the Collegiate Teaching Practicum (Graduate Studies/Teaching + Learning in Art + Design).
In 2013, Mairéad served as chief critic for the European Honors Program in Rome. In 2016, she was honored with the John R. Frazier Award for Excellence in Teaching. During her sabbatical year (2023–24), she plans to work on translating Brian Merriman’s Cúirt an Mheán Oíche (The Midnight Court), a new collection of prose poems and two plays.
Times: T | 9:40 AM - 12:40 PMInstructor(s): Mairead ByrneLocation(s): Memorial Hall, Room 401Enrolled / Capacity: 15Status: Closed
SECTION DESCRIPTION
The Beginning Poetry Workshop is an elective course introducing students to the art of poetry writing. The course sequentially addresses major commitments of poetry including form/content, sound, line, voice, image, language(s), tradition/convention, experiment, audience, revision, performance, collection, publication, and distribution. Workshop is the heart of the course, animating the practice, discourse, critique, audience, community, and mentorship vital to poets. Every class will also include close reading, discussion of assigned texts, and writing. We will attend public readings, curate and participate in community readings, and welcome poets to our class, when possible. Work can be developed in a range of styles, traditions, and languages. You will leave this class with a collection of workshopped and revised poems, which you will design, self-publish, and distribute in print and/or digital form.
The Beginning Poetry Workshop is a prerequisite for the LAS-E421 Advanced Poetry Workshop in the Spring.
Elective
LAS E101-36 - FIRST-YEAR LITERATURE SEMINAR
LevelUndergraduate
UnitLiterary Arts and Studies
Subject Literary Arts and Studies
Period Fall 2024
Credits 3
FormatSeminar
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
LAS E101-36
FIRST-YEAR LITERATURE SEMINAR
LevelUndergraduate
UnitLiterary Arts and Studies
Subject Literary Arts and Studies
PeriodFall 2024
Credits3
FormatSeminar
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2024-09-04 to 2024-12-11
Times: MW | 7:00 PM - 8:30 PMInstructor(s): Mairead ByrneLocation(s): College Building, Room 410Enrolled / Capacity: 15Status: Open
SECTION DESCRIPTION
An introduction to literary study that helps students develop the skills necessary for college-level reading, writing, research and critical thinking. Through exposure to a variety of literary forms and genres, historical periods and critical approaches, students are taught how to read closely, argue effectively and develop a strong writing voice. The course is reading and writing intensive and organized around weekly assignments. There are no waivers for LAS-E101 except for transfer students who have taken an equivalent college course.
Sophomore, Junior, Senior or Transfer Students register into designated section(s).
