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JoHN KENNY

John Kenny is a graduate of the National University of Ireland (BA 1992, Ph.D. 2002). His Doctoral thesis was titled ’Connoisseur of Silences: John Banville and the Belief in Autonomy’ (National University of Ireland, Galway, Thesis 4746), and he is currently completing two books on Banville for Irish Academic Press. He was awarded a Post Doctoral Fellowship (2004-6) by the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (during which time he was based at the Centre for the Study of Human Settlement & Historical Change at NUIG), and he is currently developing work on the history and practice of literary journalism and reviewing begun under that auspice. He is a regular reviewer of new writing for The Irish Times. Relevant teaching interests include modern world fiction, contemporary Irish fiction, literary theory, and the history of criticism with special relation to literary journalism and book-reviewing.

He welcomes all inquiries about Ph.D. study in any of these and related areas.

PUBLICATIONS

BOOKS

Forthcoming

John Banville. Visions & Revisions series. Irish Academic Press, [2007-8].

Sourcing John Banville. Irish Academic Press, [2007-8].

BOOK INTRODUCTIONS

To Some Experiences of an Irish R.M., by Edith Somerville and Martin Ross. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2005. vii-xiv.

BOOK CHAPTERS

’The Hack as Lover: Critical Notes Towards Robert Lynd.’ Representing Ireland: Past, Present and Future. Ed. Frank Beardow and Alison O’Malley-Younger. Sunderland: University of Sunderland Press, 2005. 47-57.

’"Appallingly Funny": John Banville’s The Broken Jug.’ Beyond Borders: IASIL Essays on Modern Irish Writing. Ed. Neil Sammells. Bath: Sulis Press, 2004. 83-103.

’The Critic in Pieces: The Theory and Practice of Literary Reviewing.’ Critical Ireland: New Essays in Literature and Culture. Ed. Aaron Kelly and Alan A. Gillis. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2001. 132-41.

’"No Such Genre": Tradition and the Contemporary Irish Novel.’ New Voices in Irish Criticism. Ed. P.J. Mathews. Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2000. 45-52.

Forthcoming

’Inside Out: A Working Theory of the Short Story.’ In Frank O’Connor: New Critical Essays. Ed. Hillary Lennon. Dublin: Four Courts Press [2006].

JOURNAL ARTICLES

’Well Said Well Seen: The Pictorial Paradigm in John Banville’s Fiction.’ Irish University Review (Special Issue: John Banville) 36.1 (Spring/Summer 2006): 52-67.

’After the News: Critiquing the Irish Novel since the Sixties.’ The Irish Review 25 (Winter-Spring 1999/2000): 62-74.

’"Elephants are Contagious": Fintan O’Toole’s Ireland.’ Irish Studies Review 7.1 (April 1999): 83-7.

’Rapt and Wracked with Memory: Exemplary Memoirs in Recent Irish Fiction.’ Ropes 6 (1998): 45-51.

’The Novels of Patrick McGinley.’ Ropes 1 (1993): 20-7.

OTHER ARTICLES & REVIEWS

Paperback review of The Broken Boy, by Patrick Cockburn. Irish Times 29 July 2006, ’Weekend’: 13.

Paperback review of The Line of Beauty, by Alan Hollinghurst. Irish Times 1 July 2006, ’Weekend’: 13.

Paperback review of Memoir, by John McGahern. Irish Times 27 May 2006, ’Weekend’: 13.

’Here Be Monsters.’ Review of Notes from a Turkish Whorehouse, by Philip Ó Ceallaigh. Irish Book Review 1.4 (Spring 2006): 26-27.

’Lampooning Academia in the Campus Novel.’ Review of The Secret Life of E Robert Pendleton, by Michael Collins. Irish Times 15 Apr. 2006, ’Weekend’: 11.

Paperback review of The Sea, by John Banville. Irish Times 13 May 2006, ’Weekend’: 13.

Paperback review of Utterly Monkey, by Nick Laird. Irish Times 15 Apr. 2006, ’Weekend’; 13.

Paperback review of Strumpet City, by James Plunkett. Irish Times 15 Apr. 2006, ’Weekend’: 13.

Paperback review of This is the Country, by William Wall. Irish Times 25 Mar. 2006, ’Weekend’: 13.

’Breaking the Book Fetish.’ On literary journals. Irish Times 25 Mar. 2006, ’Weekend’: 12

Paperback review of Heaven Lies About Us, by Eugene McCabe. Irish Times 18 Feb. 2006, ’Weekend’: 13.

’Into the Dark Interior.’ Review of Animals, by Keith Ridgway. Irish Times 11 Feb. 2005, ’Weekend’: 11.

Paperback review of The New Hennessy Book of Irish Fiction, ed. Dermot Bolger and Ciaran Carty. Irish Times 7 Jan. 2006, ’Weekend’: 13.

’Ringside Seat.’ Review of The Irish Art of Controversy, by Lucy McDiarmid. TLS 5360 (23-30 Dec. 2005): 32.

’A New Front in the War Zone.’ Review of Torn Water, by John Lynch. Irish Times 19 Nov. 2005, ’Weekend’: 10.

Paperback review of The Irresponsible Self: On Laughter and the Novel, by James Wood. Irish Times 3 Sept. 2005, ’Weekend’: 13.

’The Country of Most Interest.’ Review of Protection, by Molly McCloskey. Irish Times 16 July 2005, ’Weekend’: 11.

Paperback review of The Captain with the Whiskers, by Benedict Kiely. Irish Times 11 June 2005, ’Weekend’: 13.

’The West’s Awake.’ Review of Notes from a Coma, by Mike McCormack. The Irish Book Review 1.1 (Summer 2005): 17-19.

’What Lies Beneath.’ Review of The Sea, by John Banville. Irish Times 28 May 2005, ’Weekend’: 11.

’Enough to Make Molly Bloom Blush.’ Review of Watermark, by Seán O’Reilly. Irish Times 21 May 2005, ’Weekend’: 11.

’Craving the Normal.’ Review of This is the Country, by William Wall. Irish Times 14 May 2005, ’Weekend’: 13.

’A Contemporary Caper.’ Review of Utterly Monkey, by Nick Laird. Irish Times 30 April 2005, ’Weekend’: 11.

’His Heart is There.’ Review of A Long Long Way, by Sebastian Barry. Irish Times 26 March 2005, ’Weekend’: 10.

’Writing off the Life.’ Review of A Tragic Honesty: The Life and Work of Richard Yates, by Blake Bailey. Irish Times 12 Feb. 2005, ’Weekend’: 12.

Paperback review of The Master, by Colm Tóibín. Irish Times 5 Feb. 2005, ’Weekend’: 13.

Paperback review of The Collected Short Stories of Richard Yates. Irish Times 15 Jan. 2005, ’Weekend’: 13.

’The Drugs Don’t Work.’ Review of Doctor Salt, by Gerard Donovan. Irish Times 15 Jan. 2005, ’Weekend’: 10.

Paperback review of After Theory, by Terry Eagleton. Irish Times 20 Nov. 2004, ’Weekend’: 13.

’Travelling in Literature.’ Review of V.S. Pritchett: A Working Life, by Jeremy Treglown. Irish Times 20 Nov. 2004, ’Weekend’: 12.

’Jazzed-up Irishman.’ Review of Oh, Play That Thing, by Roddy Doyle. Irish Times 4 Sept. 2004, ’Weekend’: 11.

’Puritans, Politics, Passion, Plainness.’ Review of Havoc, In Its Third Year, by Ronan Bennett. Irish Times 28 Aug. 2004, ’Weekend’: 10.

’High-flying Through History.’ Review of Life Mask, by Emma Donoghue. Irish Times 3 July 2004, ’Weekend’.

’Stories in Search of a Plot.’ Review of Fillums, by Hugh Leonard. Irish Times 19 June 2004, ’Weekend’.

’Small and Perfectly Formed.’ Essay on the short story. Irish Times 29 Nov. 2003, ’Weekend’: 13.

’Death’s Dominion.’ Review of The Stealing Steps, by John Arden. Irish Times 15 Nov. 2003, ’Weekend’: 13.

’A Girl of Many Words.’ Review of Story of a Girl, by Tom MacIntyre. Irish Times 8 Nov. 2003, ’Weekend’: 11.

Paperback review of The Pleasure of Eliza Lynch, by Anne Enright. Irish Times 1 Nov. 2003,’Weekend’: 13.

Paperback review of Disturbance, by Jamie O’Neill. Irish Times 27 Sept. 2003, ’Weekend’: 13.

’Sex in the Maiden City.’ Review of Beyond, by Michael Foley. Irish Literary Supplement 23.2 (Fall 2003): 6.

’Caravan Dreams.’ Review of Call Me the Breeze, by Patrick McCabe. Times Literary Supplement 5242 (19 Sept. 2003): 23.

’The Smarties Principle.’ Review of Lindbergh’s Legacy, by Katy Hayes. Irish Times 6 Sept. 2003, ’Weekend’: 13.

Paperback review of Star of the Sea, by Joseph O’Connor. Irish Times 9 Aug. 2003: ’Weekend’: 13.

Paperback review of Shroud, by John Banville. Irish Times 9 Aug. 2003, ’Weekend’: 13.

’Mantra for the Future Subopolis.’ Review of Welcome to Coolsville, by Jason Mordaunt. Irish Times 24 May 2003, ’Weekend’: 10.

’Summoning the Occult Powers.’ Review of All Summer, by Claire Kilroy. Irish Times 10 May 2003, ’Weekend’: 10.

Review of Sophisticated Boom Boom, by John Kelly. Times Literary Supplement 5222 (2 May 2003): 25.

Paperback review of Kilbrack, by Jamie O’Neill. Irish Times 19 April 2003, ’Weekend’: 13.

’Building the Structure.’ Review of Number 5, by Glenn Patterson. Irish Times 5 April 2003, ’Weekend’: 11.

’Virtual History Lessons.’ Review of Another Kind of Life, by Catherine Dunne, and Wild Geese, by Lara Harte. Irish Times 15 Feb. 2003, ’Weekend’: 11.

’A Soldier’s Lebanon.’ Review of The Broken Cedar, by Martin Malone. Irish Times 18 Jan 2003, ’Weekend’: 11.

’A Beautiful Mourning.’ Review of Shroud, by John Banville. Times Literary Supplement 5190 (20 Sept. 2002): 19.

’Trojan Effort.’ Review of The Songs of the Kings, by Barry Unsworth. Sunday Tribune 15 Sept. 2002, ’Artlife’: 9.

’Singling Out the Irish Novelist.’ Review of The Modern Irish Novel: Irish Novelists after 1945, by Rüdiger Imhof. Irish Times 17 Aug. 2002, ’Weekend’: 8.

’Imagining Belfast Twice a Year.’ Review of Irish Pages: A Journal of Contemporary Writing, ed. Chris Agee and Cathal Ó Searcaigh (Irish Language editor). Irish Times 3 Aug. 2002, ’Weekend’: 8.

’Variety is the Spice of Writing.’ Review of New Writing 11, ed. Andrew O’Hagan and Colm Tóibín. Irish Times 8 June 2002, ’Weekend’: 8.

’Murder in Michigan.’ Review of The Resurrectionists, by Michael Collins. Irish Times 13 Apr. 2002, ’Weekend’: 10.

’Double Trouble at Vinegar Hill.’ Review of God’s Gift, by John Banville. Irish Literary Supplement 21.1 (Spring 2002): 14.

’Buffalo Bill and the Modern Man.’ Review of The Congress of Rough Riders, by John Boyne. Irish Times 1 Dec. 2001, ’Weekend’: 11.

’A Loyalist on Holiday.’ Review of The Rainbow Singer, by Simon Kerr. Irish Times 22 Sept. 2001, ’Weekend’: 8.

’The Irish Film Archive.’ Film West 45 (Autumn 2001): 24-6.

’Portrait of a Schoolboy.’ Review of The Anatomy School, by Bernard MacLaverty. Irish Times 25 Aug. 2001, ’Weekend’: 8.

’Love and Locality.’ Review of The Collected Stories, by Benedict Kiely. Times Literary Supplement 5129 (20 July 2001): 23.

’Young Writers with Promise.’ Review of Send in the Devils, by Robert Cremins. Irish Times 7 July 2001, ’Weekend’: 12.

’Notes Against Sameness.’ Article on local styles in traditional Irish music. Journal of Music in Ireland 1.5 (July/Aug. 2001): 22-3.

’Going for a Spin in a Cadillac.’ Review of The Eggman’s Apprentice, by Maurice Leitch. Irish Times 2 June 2001, ’Weekend’: 15.

Review of The Seminary, a documentary on Maynooth seminary by Donncha O’Briain. Film West 44 (Summer 2001): 58.

’Our National Bawler.’ Article on Shane MacGowan. Film West 44 (Summer 2001): 16-19.

’A Tradition Explored.’ Review of Contemporary Irish Fiction: Themes, Tropes, Theories, ed. Liam Harte and Michael Parker. Times Literary Supplement 5118 (4 May 2001): 30.

’In the Family Way.’ Review of Seeds of Doubt, by James Ryan. Times Literary Supplement 5114 (6 Apr. 2001): 22.

’A Long Way with Trips, if Airy.’ Review of Juno and Juliet, by Julian Gough. Irish Times 31 Mar. 2001, ’Weekend’: 15.

’My Word! Carson’s at it Again.’ Review of Shamrock Tea, by Ciaran Carson. Irish Times 17 Mar. 2001, ’Weekend’: 12.

Review of Talking to the Dead: The Irish Funerary Tradition, a documentary by Pat Collins. Film West 43 (Spring 2001): 67.

’The Ideal Elegies.’ Review of The Revolutions Trilogy, by John Banville. Irish Times 6 Jan. 2001, ’Weekend’: 15.

’The Higgins Bestiary.’ Review of The Whole Hog, by Aidan Higgins. Times Literary Supplement 5100 (29 Dec. 2000): 19

’Citizens of the World.’ Review of Berkeley’s Telephone and Other Fictions, by Harry Clifton. Irish Times 11 Nov. 2000, ’Weekend’: 15.

’Myth and Magic in Antrim.’ Review of Atalanta, by Fred Johnston. West 47 1 (Nov. 2000): 33-4.

’Ordinary Uniqueness.’ Review of The Pale Gold of Alaska and Other Stories, by Éilís Ní Dhuibhne. Times Literary Supplement 5090 (20 Oct. 2000): 22.

’Books on the Box.’ Article on RTÉ’s ’Undercover’ series of documentaries on Irish writers. Film West 41 (Autumn 2000): 22-4.

’A Sense of Menace.’ Review of Curfew and Other Stories, by Seán O’Reilly. Times Literary Supplement 5082 (25 Aug. 2000): 22.

’Now for a Woman’s Book of Love.’ Review of The Far Side of a Kiss, by Anne Haverty. Irish Times 19 Aug. 2000, ’Weekend’: 8.

’Fighting Fictions.’ Review of Irish University Review 30.1 (Spring/Summer 2000) Special Issue: Contemporary Irish Fiction. Ed. Anthony Roche. Irish Times 22 July 2000, ’Weekend’: 10.

’Tracks, Fields and Walls.’ Review of Track and Field, by Cormac James. Irish Times 8 July 2000, ’Weekend’: 10.

’North by North-West.’ Review of Inishowen, by Joseph O’Connor. Irish Times 3 June 2000, ’Weekend’: 9.

’In a Small Country.’ Review of The Photograph, by Eamonn Sweeney. Times Literary Supplement 5070 (2 June 2000): 11.

’Slim Book, Substantial Issues.’ Review of Everything in this Country Must, by Colum McCann. Irish Times 29 April 2000, ’Weekend’: 11.

’Gangland Knockabout.’ Review of Cartoon City, by Ferdia MacAnna. Irish Times 18 March 2000, ’Weekend’: 8.

’Would You Believe It?’ Review of The Little Hammer, by John Kelly. Irish Times 11 March 2000, ’Weekend’: 8.

’Ferociously-Paced Magical Surrealism.’ Review of What Are You Like?, by Anne Enright. Irish Times 4 March 2000, ’Weekend’: 11.

’We Got Things Going.’ Article on Seven Ages: The Story of the Irish State, a documentary by Seán Ó Mórdha. Film West 40 (Spring 2000): 24-6.

’Small-Town Requiem.’ Review of The Keepers of Truth, by Michael Collins. Times Literary Supplement 5056 (25 Feb. 2000): 22.

’Mystery, Intrigue, and Ordinary Unhappiness.’ Review of McKenzie’s Friend, by Philip Davison, and Alice Falling, by William Wall. Irish Times 5 February 2000, ’Weekend’: 8.

’The Irish Empire.’ Review of The Irish Empire, a documentary for RTÉ by Alan Gilsenan, Dearbhla Walsh and David Roberts. Film West 39 (Winter 1999/00): 16-7.

’Big Houses, Little Pieces.’ Review of The Essential Jennifer Johnston, by Jennifer Johnston. Times Literary Supplement 5046 (17 December 1999): 20.

’Parables of the Dark Side.’ Review of Irish Ghost Stories, ed. David Marcus. Times Literary Supplement 5042 (19 November 1999): 22.

’Past Master of Re-invention.’ Review of Sudden Times, by Dermot Healy. Irish Times 2 October 1999, ’Weekend’: 9.

’With Carefully Measured Iciness.’ Review of Antarctica, by Claire Keegan. Irish Times 4 September 1999, ’Weekend’: 8.

’Mommy, I’m on Drugs!’ Review of Shenanigans, ed. Sarah Champion and Donal Scannell. Irish Literary Supplement 18.2 (Fall 1999): 10.

’Mad, Mad Carry-On Entirely.’ Review of Mondo Desperado, by Patrick McCabe. Irish Times 21 Aug. 1999, ’Weekend’: 8.

Review of A Haunted Heart, by John McKenna. Irish Times 14 August 1999, ’Weekend’: 8.

Review of Us Boys, a documentary by Lionel Mill. Film West 38 (Autumn 1999): 60.

’William Trevor on Screen.’ Film West 38 (Autumn 1999): 18-20.

Review of The Supreme Fictions of John Banville, by Joseph McMinn. Irish Times 24 July 1999, ’Weekend’: 8.

Interview with Nichola Bruce, director of the screen adaptation of Timothy O’Grady and Steve Pyke’s I Could Read the Sky. Film West 37 (Summer 1999): 12-5.

’John Broderick.’ The Irish Times 29 May 1999, ’Weekend’: 11.

Review of Elizabeth Bowen: Death of the Heart, a documentary by Seán Ó Mórdha. Film West 36 (Spring 1999): 66.

’Over There, Over Here.’ Review of The Water Star, by Philip Casey. Irish Times 24 April 1999, ’Weekend’: 8.

’Rural Gloom and Mayo Gothic.’ Review of A Crooked Field, by Colm O’Gaora, and In the Name of the Wolf, by John F. Deane. Irish Times 27 March 1999, ’Weekend’: 11.

Review of George Thomson: Eighty Years A-Growing, a documentary by Gerry Gregg. Film West 35 (Winter 1998/99): 67.

Review of A Year ’Til Sunday, a documentary by Pat Comer. Film West 35 (Winter 1998/99): 66.

’Nationalisms: Visions and Revisions.’ A report on a conference held at the Irish Film Centre, 13-15 Nov. 1998. Film West 35 (Winter 1998/99): 20-2.

’Some Recent Irish Writing.’ Studies 87.348 (Winter 1998): 422-30.

’I Love You (As They Say).’ Review of Getting Used to Not Being Remarkable, by Michael Foley, and Consequences of the Heart, by Michael Cunningham. Irish Times 31 October 1998, ’Weekend’: 11.

’Doing the Dirt.’ Review of Sad Bastard, by Hugo Hamilton, and Emerald Underground, by Michael Collins. Irish Times 3 October 1998, ’Weekend’: 11.

Review of Francis Barrett, Southpaw, a documentary by Liam McGrath. Film West 34 (Autumn 1998): 66.

Review of China: From Here to the Ends of the Earth, a documentary on Irish adoption for RTÉ by Pat Comer. Film West 34 (Autumn 1998): 65.

’John Quested’s Screen Adaptation of Brian Friel’s Philadelphia, Here I Come!’ Film West 34 (Autumn 1998): 18-9.

Review of The Salesman, by Joe O’Connor, The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty, by Sebastian Barry, and This Side of Brightness, by Colum McCann. Studies 87.346 (Summer 1998): 213-8.

Review of the RTÉ screen version of John McGahern’s Amongst Women, dir. Tom Cairns. Film West 33 (Summer 1998): 66.

Review of John Banville: An Introduction, expanded ed., by Rüdiger Imhof. Irish University Review 28.1 (Spring/Summer 1998): 203-5.

Review of The Untouchable, by John Banville. Irish University Review 27.2 (Autumn/Winter 1997): 368-9.

Review of Headbanger, by Hugo Hamilton. Études Irlandaises 22.2 (Autumn 1997): 215-6.

Review of Athena, by John Banville. Ropes 3 (1995): 60-1.

Review of Nightspawn, by John Banville. Krino 18 (1995): 104-7.

English Department
National University of Ireland, Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland.
Phone: +353 (0)91 493339; Fax: +353 (0)91 524102
E-mail: English Department
This page was last updated Saturday, December 01, 2007