Writing and Literature in Ireland

Summer 2010: June 2 to July 7 (tentative dates)

Program Location

The only thing greater than the beauty of Ireland's landscape is the vitality of its culture. We will immerse ourselves in both.  We will explore Ireland from the rocky shores of the Giant's Causeway in the north to the serene beaches of Dingle in the south. We will visit the bustling cities (Galway, Belfast, Dublin and Cork) as well as the rugged beauty of the Aran Islands and the green pastoral of The Ring of Kerry. One of the most wired countries in the world and one of Europe's fastest growing economies, Ireland is a stimulating place to be regardless of your interests. We will engage the combination of traditional culture and contemporary innovation that makes Ireland one of the most visited countries in the world.

Academic Program

The purpose of this program is to explore the relationships among history, place and the arts that arise out of them. By reading the great works of Irish literature in the country from which they come, we will recapture a sense of the vitality of the works and their relationship to the lived life of the Irish. We will read William Butler Yeats' poem, "Easter 1916," on the steps of the GPO in Dublin where the rebellion it describes took place. We will see plays by contemporary Irish dramatists exploring Ireland’s struggle with immigration. We will hear traditional music played on traditional instruments, comparing the styles of the east and west, as well as the north and south. We will learn traditional dances and the cultural functions they performed.  We will follow the story of the culture kept alive in its music.

Tentative calendar

Through journals, papers and creative responses, we will track our developing understanding of the role artistic expression has played and the shapes it has taken in Ireland. Students will take two classes (6 hours) in literature, creative writing or a combination of the two.

Instructional methods include lectures, guided tours, journal assignments and/or papers, and tests/exams.

Tentative course offerings:
GHUM 200: Great Works of Irish literature and Film (3)
ENG 375: Studies in Anglo-Irish Literature (3)
ENG 391: Intro to Creative Writing: Fiction (3)
ENG 392: Intro to Creative Writing: Poetry (3)
ENG 393: Intro to Creative Writing: Nonfiction (3)

Accommodations

Students will reside in hotels, hostels and residence halls/dormitories in Galway, Sligo, Derry, Belfast, Dublin and Cork, Ireland. Some group meals will be provided.

Program Costs

For the current projected costs for this program, please click on the following link to the Fees for JMU Study Abroad Programs page.

Application

For more detailed instructions and to download the application, please click on the following link to the Applications and Forms section for JMU Short-Term Programs.

For More Information

For additional information about the Writing and Literature in Ireland program, please contact the program director:

Dr. Susan Facknitz
Associate Professor
English Department
Tel: 540-568-6110
E-mail: facknisx@jmu.edu