Grade inflation in the Leaving Certificate
Drawing attention to the peculiar anomaly in which English has had dramatically less grade inflation in the Leaving Certificate since pre-pandemic times.
Read MoreThe Fortnightly: a late-summer update
An update on plans for The Fortnightly as it heads into a new 'season' following the summer holidays.
Read MoreThe Occasional 2
The midsummer edition of The Occasional (close-cousin of The Fortnightly) is out now for paid subscribers.
Read More'Missing Persons' by Clair Wills
Clair Wills’s powerful exploration of shame, class and more in the Ireland of her family’s history could be read in conjunction with Claire Keegan’s novel Small Things Like These and Fintan O’Toole’s We Don’t Know Ourselves.
Read MoreBook Club Guide to 'Small Things Like These'
A free book club guide to Claire Keegan’s novel Small Things Like These, with teaching notes.
Read MoreThe Occasional 1
The first issue of The Occasional, for paid subscribers of The Fortnightly.
Read MoreReading Round-Up, January to June
A round-up of short reviews from January to June 2024.
Read MoreA Personal Anthology: 12 stories for the classroom
On my selection of 12 short stories for Jonathan Gibbs’s ‘A Personal Anthology’
Read MoreJames Shapiro at the Dalkey Book Festival
A brief account of James Shapiro’s appearance with Fintan O’Toole at the 2024 Dalkey Book Festival.
Read MoreFortnightly 170
Fortnightly 170 is the last issue of this academic year. ‘The Occasional’, for paid subscribers, follows in July and August.
Read MoreThe Perfect Classes
A memory of perfect classes discussing The Portrait of a Lady.
Read MoreAlex Quigley's 'Why Learning Fails'
Comments on Alex Quigley’s book Why Learning Fails (and what to do about it),
Read MoreLeaving Certificate English 2024: Paper 2
Comments on the Higher Level literature Paper 2 in the 2024 Leaving Certificate.
Read MoreLeaving Certificate English 2024: Paper 1
An assessment of English Paper 1 in the Leaving Certificate, June 2024.
Read More'Irish Times' article
Additional notes to my ‘Irish Times’ article on the future of education in Ireland.
Read MoreFortnightly 169
Fortnightly 169, the penultimate one this academic year, starts with great American literature: Robert Caro, Emily Dickinson.
Read MoreEmily Dickinson: The Gorgeous Nothings
Emily Dickinson: The Gorgeous Nothings is both a lovely book, and a handy resource if you’re teaching the poet.
Read MorePreparing for Leaving Certificate English 2024
Some ideas for effective revision in the final days leading up to the English Leaving Certificate exams, 2024.
Read MoreAndrew Atherton's 'Experiencing English Literature'
Andrew Atherton’s Experiencing English Literature: shaping authentic student response in thinking and writing provides stimulating ideas for English teachers at all stages of their careers.
Read MoreTurn Every Page
Lizzie Gottlieb’s 2022 documentary Turn Every Page is pure pleasure. It traces the decades-long relationship between her father Robert, the most distinguished editor in American letters, and Robert Caro, the greatest biographer of all.
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