Too Smart to Be Sentimental
Contemporary Irish American Women Writers
1st Edition
Published on 15. January 2008
277 pages
978-0-268-07862-1 (ISBN)
Description
In a series of critical and biographical essays, Too Smart to Be Sentimental offers a feminist literary history of twentieth-century Irish America. This collection introduces the reader to the works of twelve contemporary Irish American women writers, some of whom are well known, such as Joyce Carol Oates, Alice McDermott, and Tess Gallagher, and some of whom are equally deserving of recognition.
Each chapter focuses on a particular writer, describes and discusses that writer's most important works, contextualizes the discussion with relevant biographical material, and highlights why the writer is representative of the Irish American literary tradition. Too Smart to Be Sentimental-the first critical study of contemporary Irish American women authors-will be invaluable to students and scholars of Irish studies and Irish American literature.
Each chapter focuses on a particular writer, describes and discusses that writer's most important works, contextualizes the discussion with relevant biographical material, and highlights why the writer is representative of the Irish American literary tradition. Too Smart to Be Sentimental-the first critical study of contemporary Irish American women authors-will be invaluable to students and scholars of Irish studies and Irish American literature.
Reviews / Votes
"This book gathers critical essays about Irish-American writers from Mary McCarthy to Erin McGraw. The essays that consider Mary Doyle Curran, Tess Gallagher, Eileen Myles, Mary McGarry Morris, Jean McGarvey, and Erin McGraw are valuable for their introductions to lesser-known writers or to writers who have achieved success but who are not necessarily known as Irish-American writers." -Maureen O. Murphy, Hofstra University"These personal, thoughtful, and authoritative essays make an original contribution. They are of significance for scholars in several related disciplines: contemporary American fiction, Irish-American literature, sociology, ethnic studies, Irish studies, and women's studies." -Thomas A. Kuhlman, Creighton University
"The book is a collection of essays that introduce the works of 12 contemporary Irish-American women writers. Some of the writers, like Joyce Carol Oates and Alice McDermott, are well-known, while others, such as Elizabeth Cullinan, whose work is currently out of print, are equally deserving of recognition." -The Beverly Review
"Ebest and McInerney offer a tidy reference comprising plot summaries, character analyses, and motifs of 12 contemporary US writers with Irish roots. . . . The anthology is heavily indebted to Charles Fanning's The Irish Voice in America and follows his typology of interactions among family, matriarchy, alcoholism, Catholicism, identity, and independence." -Choice
"This critical study of contemporary Irish American women writers, the first of its kind, offers a literary history of Irish America in the 20th century from a feminist perspective . . . the essays (with notes) cover 12 authors: Mary McCarthy, Maureen Howard, Maeve Brennan, Elizabeth Cullinan, Alice McDermott, Tess Gallagher, Joyce Carol Oates, Jean McGarry, Mary McGarry Morris, Eileen Myles, Mary Gordon, and Erin McGraw. . . . Editors Ebest and McInerney are among the authors of these scholarly and insightful essays." -Library Journal
"Ebest and McInerney offer a collection of 12 critical and biographical essays on twentieth century Irish-American women writers. The volume is aimed at students and scholars of Irish studies and Irish American literature." -Book News
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Notre Dame IN
United States
Target group
College/higher education
ISBN-13
978-0-268-07862-1 (9780268078621)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Sally Barr Ebest | Kathleen McInerney
Too Smart to Be Sentimental
Contemporary Irish American Women Writers
Book
01/2008
University of Notre Dame Press
€37.10
Shipment within 10-20 days
Persons
Sally Barr Ebest is professor of English at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She is the author and co-editor of a number of books, including Reconciling Catholicism and Feminism? Personal Reflections on Tradition and Change (University of Notre Dame Press, 2003).
Kathleen McInerney is associate professor of education at Chicago State University and professor at the Centers for Interamerican Studies, Cuenca, Ecuador.
Kathleen McInerney is associate professor of education at Chicago State University and professor at the Centers for Interamerican Studies, Cuenca, Ecuador.
Content
- Cover
- Half title
- Title page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Foreword
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction: Writing Green Thoughts
- WOMEN IN IRISH AMERICAN SOCIETY
- 1. Mary McCarthy: Too Smart to Be Sentimental
- 2. Maureen Howard's "Landscapes of Memory"
- 3. Moments of Kindness, Moments of Recognition
- RELIGION AND ETHICS
- 4. "Forget about Being Irish"
- 5. Alice McDermott's Narrators
- ORAL TRADITIONS
- 6. Tess Gallagher
- 7. "I'm Your Man"
- SEXUALITY
- 8. Hardly Sentimental
- 9. Blurring Boundaries
- FEMINISM, CULTURE, AND CRITIQUE
- 10. The World of Mary Gordon
- 11. Jean McGarry
- 12. Erin McGraw
- About the Contributors
- Index
