Mairéad Byrne
Encyclopedia
Mairéad Byrne is an Irish
poet
who emigrated to the United States in 1994. Author of four poetry collections, and other works, she is an associate professor of poetry
and poetics
at Rhode Island School of Design
.
in English Language
& Literature
from University College, Dublin, in 1977. She was awarded a Higher Diploma in Education from Trinity College
, Dublin in 1994, before earning a Master of Arts
in Literature and Creative Writing
(in 1996) and a Ph.D.
in Theory & Cultural Studies (in 2001), both from Purdue University
.
2010), Talk Poetry (Miami University Press 2007), SOS Poetry (/Ubu
Editions 2007), and Nelson & The Huruburu Bird (Wild Honey Press 2003); and the chapbooks State House Calendar (Dusie
Kollektiv/ Watersign Press 2009), An Educated Heart (Palm Press 2005), Kalends (Belladonna
2005), Vivas (Wild Honey Press 2005), and The Pillar (Wild Honey Press 2000).
In the Cambridge Companion to Twentieth Century British and Irish Women's Poetry (2011), Lee Jenkins situates Byrne's poetics "in the global circuitry of diaspora, migration, and the information superhighway," identifying as a significant accomplishment that "she refuses to choose between formal innovation and radical theme," fusing commitments to both social justice and linguistic innovation. In an interview with Sina Queyras Byrne said, "I consider my work firmly in the tradition of Irish comic literature, both in early Irish and 20th century prose, especially Beckett and Flann O’Brien."
Books in collaboration with visual artists include Michael Mulcahy (Gandon Editions 1995), Eithne Jordan (Gandon Editions 1994), and Joyce-A Clew (Bluett & Co., 1982). Byrne is also the author of two plays, The Golden Hair (Project Arts Centre
Dublin 1982), and Safe Home (Project Arts Centre 1985), both of which received production grants from the Arts Council of Ireland
/ An Chomhairle Ealaíon. She was a freelance journalist in Ireland (1978-1986), writing features and reviews for all major magazines and daily newspapers, including In Dublin magazine, the Irish Times, and Raidió Teilifís Éireann
; and The Village Voice
and Provincetown Advocate in the United States (1987-1988).
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
who emigrated to the United States in 1994. Author of four poetry collections, and other works, she is an associate professor of poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and poetics
Poetics
Aristotle's Poetics is the earliest-surviving work of dramatic theory and the first extant philosophical treatise to focus on literary theory...
at Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877. Located at the base of College Hill, the RISD campus is contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources and...
.
Education
Byrne earned a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English Language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
& Literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
from University College, Dublin, in 1977. She was awarded a Higher Diploma in Education from Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, Dublin in 1994, before earning a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Literature and Creative Writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
(in 1996) and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Theory & Cultural Studies (in 2001), both from Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
.
Poetry and other works
Byrne's poetry collections include The Best of (What's Left of) Heaven (Publishing GeniusPublishing Genius
Publishing Genius is an independent publisher located in Baltimore, Maryland. The press, run by Adam Robinson, has published novels, short stories and poetry since 2006, including work by Stephanie Barber, Rachel B. Glaser, Michael Kimball, Mairéad Byrne, Justin Sirois and more...
2010), Talk Poetry (Miami University Press 2007), SOS Poetry (/Ubu
UbuWeb
UbuWeb is a large web-based educational resource for avant-garde material available on the internet, founded in 1996 by poet Kenneth Goldsmith. It offers visual, concrete and sound poetry, expanding to include film and sound art mp3 archives.-Philosophy:...
Editions 2007), and Nelson & The Huruburu Bird (Wild Honey Press 2003); and the chapbooks State House Calendar (Dusie
Dusie
Dusie began in 2005 by publishing an experimental poetics journal online. In 2006, Dusie began publishing full length works in paperback format. Dusie's backlist of full-length collections of poetry includes books by Joe Amato, Anne Blonstein, Kirsty Bowen, Nicole Mauro, Logan Ryan Smith, and...
Kollektiv/ Watersign Press 2009), An Educated Heart (Palm Press 2005), Kalends (Belladonna
Belladonna Series
Belladonna* is an American non-profit poetry collaborative based in Brooklyn, NY. It was founded in 1999 by Rachel Levitsky at Bluestockings in New York, NY as a poetry series featuring avant-garde feminist writing, with an emphasis on hybrid and language-focused writing. The reading series...
2005), Vivas (Wild Honey Press 2005), and The Pillar (Wild Honey Press 2000).
In the Cambridge Companion to Twentieth Century British and Irish Women's Poetry (2011), Lee Jenkins situates Byrne's poetics "in the global circuitry of diaspora, migration, and the information superhighway," identifying as a significant accomplishment that "she refuses to choose between formal innovation and radical theme," fusing commitments to both social justice and linguistic innovation. In an interview with Sina Queyras Byrne said, "I consider my work firmly in the tradition of Irish comic literature, both in early Irish and 20th century prose, especially Beckett and Flann O’Brien."
Books in collaboration with visual artists include Michael Mulcahy (Gandon Editions 1995), Eithne Jordan (Gandon Editions 1994), and Joyce-A Clew (Bluett & Co., 1982). Byrne is also the author of two plays, The Golden Hair (Project Arts Centre
Project Arts Centre
Project Arts Centre is a multidisciplinary contemporary arts centre located in Dublin's Temple Bar that showcases cutting-edge visual art and performance....
Dublin 1982), and Safe Home (Project Arts Centre 1985), both of which received production grants from the Arts Council of Ireland
Arts Council of Ireland
The Arts Council of Ireland was founded in 1951 by the Government of Ireland to encourage interest in Irish art and channel to funding from the state to Irish artists and arts organisations...
/ An Chomhairle Ealaíon. She was a freelance journalist in Ireland (1978-1986), writing features and reviews for all major magazines and daily newspapers, including In Dublin magazine, the Irish Times, and Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
; and The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
and Provincetown Advocate in the United States (1987-1988).