English Department Faculty
James Smith
Professor of English & Irish Studies
James Smith
Ph.D.
Contact
Stokes Hall S489
Telephone: 617-552-1596
Email: smithbt@bc.edu
Education
- B.A., English & History, University College Dublin, Ireland
- M.A., English, Clark University
- M.A., Anglo-Irish Studies, University College Dublin, Ireland
- Ph.D., English, Boston College
Department
Biography
Specializes in Irish literature and culture, especially contemporary narrative, and cultural studies. His graduate seminars include "Contemporary Irish Fiction," "Twentieth Century Irish Fiction," and "Ireland and Britain: Kingdom, Colony, Nation?鈥� His undergraduate electives include "Reading Irish Childhood," "Family and Kinship: Reading the Adopted Child," 鈥淏oom, Bust, Austerity: Reading Ireland from the Celtic Ireland to Now,鈥� 鈥淥utcast Ireland: Paupers, Penitents, Patients,鈥� "Major Irish Writers," and both 19th and 20th century surveys of Irish literature. He has published articles in Signs, The Journal of the History of Sexuality, 脡颈谤别-滨谤别濒补苍诲, and ELH. His book, (Notre Dame UP/Manchester UP), was published in 2007 and was awarded the Donald Murphy Prize for Distinguished First Book by the American Conference for Irish Studies. With Maria Luddy, he coedited a double special issue of 听 (Spring/Summer 2009) and the collection (Four Courts Press, 2014). He recently coedited a double special issue of听脡颈谤别-滨谤别濒补苍诲听(Spring/Summer 2020) and the essay collection听, both of which consider听the ongoing legacies of institutional abuse in Ireland. He is a member of the advocacy group Justice for Magdalenes Research () and co-author of (Bloomsbury, 2021).
Publications
Book
- , Co-written with Claire McGettrick, Katherine O鈥橠onnell, Maeve O鈥橰ourke, and Mari Steed (London & New York: Bloomsbury/I.B. Tauris, 2021). 304 pgs.
- (Southbend, IN: 听The University of Notre Dame Press, 2007). 312 pp. European Edition published by Manchester University Press, 2008.
Editor
- Co-Editor with Katherine O鈥橠onnell and Maeve O鈥橰ourke.听听(University College Dublin Press, 2022). 514 pgs.
- Co-Editor with Katherine O鈥橠onnell and Maeve O鈥橰ourke. . Special Double Issue, 鈥淭oward Transitional Justice in Ireland? Addressing Legacies of Harm.鈥� 55: 1 & 2 (2020): 341 pgs.
- Co-Editor with Maria Luddy. . (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2014). 448 pgs.
- Co-Editor with Maria Luddy.听. Special Double Issue, "Children, Childhood and Irish Society." 44: 1 & 2 (2009): 296 pp.
- Editor. . New Riverside Editions. British Series Editor, Alan Richardson. 听Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005. 447 pp.
Research Submissions
- Contributing author. . Principal Authors Katherine O鈥橠onnell and Claire McGettrick. Dublin: Justice for Magdalenes Research/Department of Justice, 2020. 96 pages.
- Contributing Author. Principal Submission to the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. Principal Authors, Maeve O鈥橰ourke, Claire McGettrick, Rob Barker and Raymond Hill. Dublin: Justice for Magdalenes Research, Adoption Rights Alliance, Hogan Lovells, 15 October 2018. 154 Pages.
- Co-Author with Claire McGettrick, Raymond Hill, and Maeve O鈥橰ourke, 鈥�,鈥� with additional contributions from Mari Steed and Katherine O鈥橠onnell. 14 August 2012. 145 pages, plus 30-page index of materials, and 795 pages of survivor testimony and 3707 pages of archival and legislative documentation.
- Author. 鈥淎 Narrative of State Interaction with the Magdalene Laundries.鈥� Submitted to Ireland鈥檚 Minister for Justice, Mr. Alan Shatter, T.D., and Minister for State, Ms. Kathleen Lynch, T.D., on 4 July 2011. Submitted to Senator Martin McAleese and the Irish Government鈥檚 Inter-Departmental Committee on State Interaction with the Magdalen Laundries on 9 September 2011.听 50 pages [17,001 words] and 450+ pages of appendices.
- Co-Author with Maeve O鈥橰ourke, 鈥�.鈥� Submitted to the Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC)*, June 10, 2010. 22 pages plus 120 pages of supporting appendices.
*Irish Human Rights Commission,听听(Dublin: IHRC, 2010). Published on November 9, 2010. 35 pages.
Journal Articles
- 鈥�,鈥� with Katherine O鈥橠onnell and Maeve O鈥橰ourke. 脡颈谤别-滨谤别濒补苍诲: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Irish Studies. Special Double Issue, 鈥淭owards Transitional Justice in Ireland? Legacies of Harm.鈥� 55:
1 & 2 (Spring/Summer, 2020): 9-16. - 鈥�,鈥� 脡颈谤别-滨谤别濒补苍诲: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Irish Studies. Special Double Issue, 鈥淭owards Transitional Justice in Ireland? Legacies of Harm.鈥� 55: 1& 2 (Spring/Summer, 2020): 142-80.
- 鈥�.鈥� Editor. 脡颈谤别-滨谤别濒补苍诲: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Irish Studies. Special Double Issue, 鈥淭owards Transitional Justice in Ireland? Legacies of Harm.鈥� 55: 1& 2 (Spring/Summer, 2020): 17-34.
- "," with Maria Luddy.听脡颈谤别-滨谤别濒补苍诲: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Irish Studies. Special Double Issue, "Children, Childhood and Irish Society." 44: 1 & 2 (2009): 5-8.
- 鈥溙�Signs:听A Journal of Women in Culture and Society.听32, 2 (Winter, 2007): 431-58.
- 听(1931).鈥� Journal of the History of Sexuality. 13, 2 (2004): 208-233.
- 鈥�.鈥� 脡颈谤别-滨谤别濒补苍诲: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Irish Studies. 36, 3&4 (2001): 111-130.
- 鈥溾�� ELH 65 (1998): 297-321.
Essays
- 鈥淚reland鈥檚 Magdalene Laundries: Confronting a history not yet in the past.鈥� With Maeve O鈥橰ourke.听A Century of Progress? Irish Women Reflect. Eds. Alan Hayes and M谩ire Meagher. Dublin: Arlen House, 2016. 107-34.
- 鈥淚ntroduction,鈥� with Maria Luddy. Co-Editor with Maria Luddy. Children, Childhood and Irish Society: 1500 to the present. (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2014). 15-28.
- 鈥淭he Justice for Magdalenes Campaign.鈥� In Plain Sight: Responding to the Ferns, Ryan, Murphy and Cloyne Reports by Carole Holohan. Commissioned by Amnesty International Ireland. Dublin: Amnesty International Ireland, 2011. 372-77.
- 鈥淩e-Imagining Ireland, Britain and Europe.鈥� Traversing the Imaginary. Eds. Peter Gratton and John P. Manoussakis. Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 2007.
- 鈥淪exual Abuse and the Irish Church: Crisis and Responses鈥� (with Robert Savage). Occasional Papers, 2003. The Church in the 21st Century. Boston College Online Publication.
- 鈥淩etelling Stories: Exposing Mother Ireland in Kathy Prendergast鈥檚 Body Map Series and Mary Leland鈥檚 The Killeen.鈥� Re/Dressing Cathleen: Contemporary Works From Irish Women Artists. Ed. Jennifer Grinnell and Alston Conley. Boston: McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College, 1997. 42-51.
Miscellaneous
- 鈥�,"听 Books Commentary.听The Irish Times听13 June 2022.
- 鈥淐ommissions of Investigations Act inhibits truth-telling about the past and present,鈥� Opinion Editorial. The Irish Times 30 October 2018.
- 鈥淯S calls for transparency from Irish State on child abuse and forced adoption,鈥� Irish Central 1 November 2018.
- 鈥淒ublin Honours Magdalenes too late for Catherine but she would have liked it,鈥� Opinion Editorial.听The Irish Times听6 June 2018.
- 鈥淭wo cathartic days for 200 dignified Magdalene survivors.鈥� Opinion Editorial.听The Irish Examiner听5 June 2018.
- 鈥淚n Ireland, Recalling 鈥榓 Very Dark Time鈥�,鈥� Letter to the Editor.听New York Times听5 November 2017.
- 鈥淭uam dead babies scandal is only the tip of the iceberg.鈥� Opinon Editorial.听Irish Central听31 October 2017.
- 鈥淚reland鈥檚 Forgotten Diaspora鈥攂anished unwed mothers and adopted babies.鈥� Opinion Editorial.听Irish Central听23 March 2017.
- 鈥淎rchdiocese of Tuam failed these children.鈥� Opinion Editorial.听The Irish Examiner听9 March 2017.
- 鈥淲ill Mother and Baby Homes Commission advertise to the hidden Irish diaspora?鈥� Opinion Editorial.听The Irish Times Online.听听9 November 2016.听
- Rite and Reason: Brave Magdalene survivor leaves inspirational trail.鈥� Opinion Editorial.听The Irish Times听29 March 2016:16.
- 鈥淢agdalene survivors are still waiting for restorative justice.鈥� With Maeve O鈥橰ouke. Opinion-Editorial, The Irish Times. Wednesday, 5 February, 2014.
- 鈥淢agdalene need inquiry with legal and political clout.鈥� Opinion-Editorial, The Irish Times. Wednesday, 24 July 2013.
- 鈥淔air compensation must follow Magdalene apology,鈥� Opinion-Editorial, Irish Times. Tuesday, 19 February 2013.
- 鈥淎bused in the past and abandoned in the present,鈥� Opinion-Editorial, Irish Times. Tuesday, 5 February 2013.
- 鈥淢agdalene survivors still held hostage to politics,鈥� Opinion-Editorial, Irish Times. Wednesday, 26 September 2012.
- 鈥淚rish Society Colluded in Betrayal of Magdalen Women.鈥� Opinion-Editorial. The Irish Times 1 Sept. 2003: 12.
- 鈥淭he Magdalene Sisters in America.鈥� Commentary. The Alliance for the Study of Adoption, Identity & Kinship Newsletter 5 (Fall, 2003): 1 & 3-4.
- 鈥淩e-Imagining Ireland, Britain and Europe.鈥� 听Rev. of Postnationalist Ireland: Politics, Culture, Philosophy by Richard Kearney. 听The Irish Literary Supplement 16, 2 (1997): 23-4.
听
Resources for teaching and studying Ireland's Magdalene Laundries
Download these in PDF format. These resources are representative and not meant to be comprehensive. Inclusion of materials does not imply an endorsement of opinions contained therein. You are welcome to contact me听smithbt@bc.edu听to report errors or to suggest titles for inclusion. Thank you.