30TH LECTURE IN A SERIES ON IRISH HISTORY (STAIR NA HÉIREANN)
“MARK TWAIN, T.S. ELIOT, AND IRISH AMERICA”

On May 7, 2023, at 2:00 pm in the Carolan Room, Christopher Dowd will be our lecturer

Dr. Dowd is Associate Professor and Chair of the English Department at the University of New Haven. His focus is on Irish-American literature and culture. In addition, he is the author of The Construction of Irish Identity in American Literature, and The Irish and the Origins of American Popular Culture.

Two of the most notable American writers of the 19th century helped shape popular perceptions about Irish-American identity. In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain created one of the most beloved characters in all of American literature—Huck Finn—and describes him as an Irish boy. Yet, Huck’s Irishness has largely been ignored or erased over the past century. Similarly, T.S. Eliot’s character Sweeney appears in many plays and poems, including “The Wasteland.” Yet, the significance of his Irishness is also overlooked. This talk will consider the importance of Irish ethnicity to these foundational Irish texts by non-Irish writers and how it helped shape popular understandings of what it means to be Irish in America.

Tickets – $5.00 (Students with ID $2.00)
Sorry we cannot accept GAC script or credit cards

Help us plan seating and refreshments by registering in advance. Register online at: gaclectures@gmail.com Subject: Irish History. Please provide name, address, phone and email.