The Nerve: An English and Arts Podcast

In this episode of the podcast, Jenny speaks to Tomm Moore of Kilkenny-based animation studio Cartoon Saloon. Its most recent film, Wolfwalkers, is currently nominated for the 2021 Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature, and was also nominated for a Golden Globe. Prior to this, The Breadwinner, Song of the Sea, The Secret of Kells and the short film Late Afternoon were also nominated for Oscars and other prestigious awards. The studio produces content for television and streaming services too, and has thrived during the pandemic creating an impressive slate of new productions that will come to fruition over the next five years. During the podcast, Tomm chats about setting up the studio, writing stories collaboratively, the importance of multitasking and what it’s like to go to the Oscars. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Jenny is joined by Joanne McCarthy, one of the co-founders of literary magazine, The Waxed Lemon. Joanne discusses the responses to the latest edition’s call for submission, offers advice for budding contributors and reads from her own poetry which has been published in The Stinging Fly, The Honest Ulsterman, and The Bangor Literary Review. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the podcast, Jenny chats to writer John Patrick McHugh, whose recent collection of short stories, Pure Gold, has received rave reviews from The Irish Times and Vanity Fair. Prior to the publication of the collection, JP’s stories were published in literary journals like Granta, Winter Papers and The Stinging Fly. The conversation veers from how long it takes to produce two good sentences to working in a supportive writing bubble with Nicole Flattery and Sally Rooney, and how it feels to find out you’ve been published. JP also reads from a couple of stories in the collection. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernie McGill’s novel The Watch House was nominated in 2019 for the Ireland/European Prize for Literature and Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes nominated The Butterfly Cabinet as his novel of the year in 2012. Her short fiction has been nominated for several awards and in 2008, she won the Zoetrope: All-Story Short Fiction Award in the United States. Bernie is a former Writing Fellow with the Royal Literary Fund at the Seamus Heaney Centre in Queen’s University, Belfast and she teaches and facilitates workshops with the Irish Writers’ Centre (one of which is coming up in April of 2021).In this episode, Jenny talks to Bernie about what a typical day in her life is like, what it has meant to her to contribute to anthologies that highlight the work of women writers and how teaching keeps her awake at night! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this season of episodes, Jenny conducts one-to-one interviews with people who are important to the Arts in Ireland in one way or another. This first episode features Barbara McCormack, the Academy Librarian with the Royal Irish Academy. The discussion focuses on what it means to be in this type of role and how the pandemic has affected the work that can be done. There is also some valuable advice for students looking to follow this career path. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ho ho ho! Five of the regular podcast hosts from WIT got together to record a joint episode recommending some books, TV programmes, films, podcasts and tech that you (or a loved one) might enjoy over the Christmas period. Features Jenny O’Connor from The Nerve, Bruce Wardrop from Win Win, Niamh Maguire from Engendering Change, Tom Grinsell from WIT Talks Student Life and Rob O’Connor of The Machine.A very Happy Christmas to all our listeners.Recommendation Notes:Bruce Wardrop (Book) Atomic Habits – James Clear https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits (Podcast) Real Science of Sport https://twitter.com/sportsscipod (Podcast) Where Is George Gibney? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p08njhrmNiamh Maguire (Book) Girl Woman Other – Bernadine Evaristo https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41081373-girl-woman-other (TV Show) - Rita https://www.netflix.com/ie/title/70285368Tom Grinsell (Documentary) The Wolfpack Insider [Tour de France 2020] https://youtu.be/NOEoqwi9Mls (TV Show) Queen’s Gambit https://www.netflix.com/ie/title/80234304Jenny O’Connor (Book) Actress – Anne Enright https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45993330-actress (Film) God’s Own Country https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5635086/ (Film) Only You https://www.netflix.com/ie/title/81111212Rob O’Connor (Film) The Midnight Sky https://www.netflix.com/ie/title/80244645 (Tech) Nintendo Switch https://www.nintendo.com/switch/Extra Notes: Desert Island Discs, Bernadine Evaristo https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000mrb1 Desert Island Discs, Anne Enright https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000dpn1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Nerve, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by three English graduates who are currently engaged in postgraduate study. Lauren Browne, Michael Power and Dylan Phelan reflect on what they might tell their first year selves about opening themselves up to new experiences, taking feedback on board and fostering self-belief, and they discuss how the BA Arts programme has prepared them for the current challenges of their postgraduate work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Nerve, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Billy O’Callaghan, our special guest for this semester’s English and Theatre Studies Day. Billy is the winner of a Bord Gais Energy Book Award and has been nominated for a raft of other awards for his writing. He has had over a hundred short stories published in literary journals around the world and has had his work translated into eleven languages.  Billy ran two sessions with our students: one on the art and craft of the short story, and another on the how to get published. Dr Fiona Ennis is also a guest on this episode of the podcast. Winner of the Molly Keane Creative Writing Award for her short story “Debt”, Fiona was also nominated for the Bristol Short Story Award this year for her story “Host” . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor talks to Dr. Christa de Brun about being on the judging panel for the Global Undergraduate Awards, which receives approximately 4,000 entries each year from across the world. She is also joined by two former English, Aaron Kent and Alessia Zuccarelli, who discuss being highly commended in the Awards and how their time at WIT led to their current postgraduate opportunities. Aaron has recently won an Irish Research Council scholarship and has taken up a PhD position at WIT, working alongside Dr. Una Kealy and Dr. Kate McCarthy on the underrepresentation of Irish women playwrights following the War of Independence. Alessia is currently undertaking an MA in Creative Writing at Queen’s University, Belfast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor speaks to Dr. Áine Furlong, Dr. Úna Kealy and English and Theatre Studies student Jack Reid about the process of moving from face-to-face to emergency online teaching and learning. They discuss the things that scared them the most, the opportunities they see in the digital space, and top tips for maximising time and  energy online. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We continue our Books on the Nightstand tradition in the final episode of The Nerve for this semester. However, while we normally invite staff from other departments to give their recommendations, we had to improvise a little in these abnormal times. Instead, this episode comes to you from the sitting room of Dr. Jenny O’Connor, who is joined by her husband Rob O’Connor from the Department of Computing and Mathematics, and their four daughters Sophie, Elise, Wendy and Stella. From science fiction to modernist literature, adventure stories to rhyming books about naughty musical notes, there is something here for everyone.Books discussedDune by Frank HerbertJacob’s Room by Virginia WoolfA Slanting of the Sun by Donal RyanRatburger by David WalliamsThe Famous Five by Enid BlytonHarry Potter by JK RowlingThe Land of Stories by Chris ColferThe Diddle that Dummed by Kes Gray and Fred Blunt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Dr. Jennifer O’Mahoney and Dr. Kate McCarthy of the Magdalene Heritage and Waterford Memories projects which aim to document survivors’ narratives about their time in Magdalene laundries and to offer educational resources to schools and the general public that focus on the social history, cultural and built heritage of Waterford’s former Magdalene Laundry and Industrial School. Dr. O’Mahoney and Dr. McCarthy have developed Waterford Memories website (www.waterfordmemories.com) and have recently launched a resource called Exploring Waterford's Magdalene Heritage: An Activity & Resource Pack, a set of cultural and heritage-informed educational resources.Please note that due to restrictions arising from the COVID-19 outbreak, this podcast was recorded via Zoom, which may affect the audio quality in places. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

English Day at WIT takes place once per semester. This semester, we were delighted to welcome the multi-award winning author and lecturer in Creative Writing, Donal Ryan to the Institute for a workshop with our English major and minor students. In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Donal who speaks about the process of writing and the emergent beauty of simple, precise language. Dr. Fiona Ennis, Dr. Christa de Brún and third year student Angela Sutherland also offer their thoughts on Donal’s work and what they learned from the workshop about their own writing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As part of the extracurricular programme of events on offer to students of English and/or Theatre Studies at WIT, staff and students attended a production of Gone Full Havisham at Garter Lane Arts Centre. The play documents the wedding night of Emily Halloran, who has been jilted at the altar and is live streaming the fallout via social media. Written and performed by Irene Kelleher and directed by Regina Crowley, it uses innovative staging techniques and challenges the audience to think about their own complicity as they enjoy the spectacle that unfolds. Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined in the studio by Dr. Kate McCarthy, lecturer in Theatre Studies and English, and third year students Grainne Kavanagh and John Power who were in attendance on the night.Link to Irene Kelleher’s Mary and Me: https://www.rte.ie/culture/2019/0220/1031653-mary-and-me-listen-to-irene-kellehers-drama-on-one-play/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode of The Nerve for the new semester, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by three English students to talk about the content of the English programme: first year Rebecca Byrne, second year Beibhinn O’Sullivan and third year Lauren Browne. The students discuss the modules they’re studying, the extra-curricular English activities facilitated by staff and the benefits of studying at WIT (there are many!). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by colleagues from the School of Humanities to discuss the current books on their nightstand. Dr. Hazel Farrell (Music), Philip Cremin (Religious Studies) and Dr. Christa de Brún (English) talk about the texts they have been enjoying recently and that they would recommend to others. The books include a biography about a woman who created Ireland’s first concert hall and youth orchestra; a bildungsroman about growing up in pre-Troubles Derry; a classic of gay literature that investigates themes of self-denial and the concept of home; a fantasy adventure and theological tome that we all think we know; and a story about the contemporary racial divide in America. These books might make good Christmas presents for the awkward bibliophile in your life! For details on all of the books discussed, see the podcast notes below.Olive Smith: A Musical Visionary by Gillian SmithReading in the Dark by Seamus DeaneGiovanni’s Room by James BaldwinLord of the Rings by JRR TolkienThe Hate You Give by Angie Thomas Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Dr. José Francisco Fernández Sánchez, a Beckett scholar and expert in translation from the University of Almería in Spain, as well as WIT lecturers Dr. Úna Kealy (English and Theatre Studies) and Andrés Romera (Spanish) who have recently collaborated on a translation of Teresa Deevy’s The King of Spain’s Daughter. The discussion ranges from Samuel Beckett and Teresa Deevy to how to translate colloquial Waterford sayings and how to convey humour in another language. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Jane Keane of the Imagine Arts Festival committee who highlights this year’s not-to-be missed events and talks about how important the Arts scene is for Waterford. The festival incorporates Waterford Writers’ Weekend and also in studio are Dr. Una Kealy and Dr. Fiona Ennis who speak about their festival event, which is entitled “Impossible Situations: Waterford women writing on love and loss”. The Imagine Arts Festival takes place from 18th – 27th October, 2019. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Upcoming productions: The Playboy of the Western World, Long Day’s Journey into Night and the Eugene O’Neill FestivalIn this, our twentieth episode of The Nerve, we discuss upcoming theatre productions and the texts behind them. Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined in studio by Dr. Richard Hayes, an O’Neill scholar who tells us about the extraordinary journey of Eugene O’Neill’s family from New Ross to America and the festival that celebrates his life and work in New Ross this October. Also in studio are new first year students Catherine Bradley and Brendan Ahearne who discuss their thoughts on JM Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World, which is part of 2019’s Dublin Theatre Festival. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by fellow English and Theatre Studies lecturer, Dr. Kate McCarthy and special guest, WIT alumnus and London-based actor Jamie Beamish. Jamie discusses playing Iago in a Waterford accent, what he learned during his time studying music at WIT, and how a willingness to diversify and adapt is key to the success of any Arts graduate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode of The Nerve for this academic year, Jenny is joined by Margaret O’Brien, lecturer in Creative Writing at WIT and second year English students Michael Power and Eleanor O’Connor. The discussion is focused upon flash fiction: stories of 1,000 words or less that, through their brevity, offer freedom from the traditional rules of writing and yet, require great attention to detail. Students of English at WIT talk about their experiences of writing flash fiction, and Margaret outlines the potential offered by this narrative form. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the podcast, Jenny is joined by Dr. Úna Kealy, lecturer in English and Theatre Studies, and students from both of those disciplines, Aoife Molloy, Sinead Croarkin and Bronagh Sharpe. The topic under consideration is the production of The Country Girls now playing in the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, which WIT staff and students travelled to last week. The Country Girls, a novel banned upon its release in 1960 for its sexually explicit content, was adapted for the stage by the novel’s author Edna O’Brien, and this production (directed by Graham McLaren) invites lots of discussion over the rendering of its key themes and the fate of its protagonists, not to mention the role of the predatory Mr. Gentleman..! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Jenny is joined by Dr. Kate McCarthy, fellow English lecturer (and our resident Shakespeare conspiracy theorist) and first year students Béibhínn O’Sullivan and Dean Cusack Lynch, who are currently studying the module Shakespeare: Drama and Film. The podcast discusses our enduring attachment to Shakespeare, the film adaptations and reinterpretations of his plays, and whether he, in fact, is the real author behind the best known works in the English language. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This special episode of The Nerve sees writer Danielle McLaughlin join Dr. Jenny O’Connor in the studio, alongside Creative Writing lecturer Margaret O’Brien and English students Brandon Collins and Dylan Phelan. Danielle McLaughlin is the current UCC Writer-in-Residence and her stories have appeared in newspapers and magazines such as The Stinging Fly, The Irish Times, Southword, The New Yorker and have been broadcast on RTE Radio 1 and BBC Radio 4. Her debut collection of short storiesDinosaurs on Other Planets was published in Ireland, the UK, the US and Slovakia. Last year, she edited Counterparts, an anthology of work by writers with legal backgrounds, and on the day of the podcast, she also gave a seminar and writing workshop to our lucky English students. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first English at WIT podcast of 2019 sees Dr. Jenny O’Connor and Dr. Fiona Ennis of English discussing “Books on the Nightstand” with Mairéad Meagher and Rob O’Connor of the Department of Computing and Maths. Topics range from short story collections about gender, law and politics to novels about music and physics, as well as genocide and the Nuremberg trials. We also mention Danielle McLaughlin’s edited collection Counterparts in advance of her visit to WIT next Tuesday 5th February.More info on the books discussed can be found at:Fresh Complaint - Jeffrery Eugenides. https://bit.ly/2UNbs2XCounterparts: A Synergy of Law and Literature - Danielle McLaughlin, ed. https://bit.ly/2BoPtIfThe Time Of Our Singing - Richard Powers. https://bit.ly/2TB1yRQ Sweet Home - Wendy Erskine. https://bit.ly/2UEqUOK East West Street - Philippe Sands. https://bit.ly/2Tv774c Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Nerve, Jenny is joined by first year students Aoife Molloy and Emma Kearns, as well as second year student Niamh Callanan and English lecturer, Dr. Christa de Brún. They discuss two of the events organised for English and Theatre Studies students this semester: a performance of “Hughie” by Eugene O’Neill, which featured an American cast (and a well-known TV actor!) and a Creative Writing masterclass with award-winning author Claire Keegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Dr. Una Kealy and former Theatre Studies and English student Laura Broderick. Una, together with Dr. Kate McCarthy, runs the Performing the Region research project in collaboration with WIT students, Garter Lane Arts Centre and director Jim Nolan and here, she discusses the three plays that have formed the cornerstones of the project thus far: Jim Nolan’s Blackwater Angel, Teresa Deevy’s Wife to James Whelan, and Una Troy’s Mount Prospect, which is currently running at Garter Lane Arts Centre in Waterford. Laura is one of the cast of Mount Prospect, and she discusses the character she plays, as well as some of the important thematic concerns of the play. The act of reviving and recouping the voices of South East theatre for a new audience is of primary importance for the project, and another of its strands, Performing Women, is concerned with the reclamation of women’s voices in particular. The productions at Garter Lane bring WIT students together from courses as diverse as Arts, Architecture, Music, Entertainment Systems and Graphic Design. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined in studio by Dr. Fiona Ennis, lecturer in poetry on the BA Arts programme, along with Jess Sinnott, Caleb O’Connor and Alessia Zuccarelli, all of whom are current third year English students. The discussion ranges from the writing challenges faced by first years upon entry into the Arts programme to the lessons that each of the panel (lecturers included) has learned during the course of their studies. Caleb and Jess also reveal details of their new peer mentorship scheme which is available to all students on the English programme, and which will provide additional support on how to write and structure continuous assessment papers as well as exams. The mentorship scheme kicks off next Monday at 1.45pm, and not Wednesday as indicated during the discussion here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode of The Nerve of our Autumn semester, Dr. Jenny O’Connor speaks to Dr. Una Kealy and second year student Eleanor O’Connor about Richard III in anticipation of the English at WIT trip to The Abbey on 20th October. They discuss first encounters with the play, the all-important female characters and the rise and fall of Richard’s fortunes, as well as providing important details on how to book your place on the trip. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this final episode of The Nerve for the current academic year, lecturers Dr. Jenny O’Connor and Dr. Christa de Brún speak to students from first year (Michael Power), second year (Katiemarie Lynch) and third year (Frances Ryan) of the English programme, to find out how students are feeling at this time of the year, and to listen to the questions that they have gathered from their class group about final assignments and exams. They offer concrete and practical advice on how best to prepare, what to do if panic strikes in an exam, how to relieve stress and how to get the best marks possible in your final assessments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Nerve, we are joined by our very first special guest, Dr. John Ennis, award-winning poet and former Head of School of Humanities at WIT. John talks to us about his poetic connection with Russian Pussy Riot, his link with the Icelandic band Sigur Rós, and the importance of poetry as a craft. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of The Nerve is also taken from our week on Vibe WIT Radio. Here, guest presenter Kate McCarthy hosts a discussion on Waterford playwright Theresa Deevy's work 'In Search Of Valour' followed by a reading by some students of BA Arts at Waterford Institute of Technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O'Connor is joined by Margaret O'Brien, lecturer in Creative Writing on the English programme. Also in studio are final year student Apryl Byrne and former student Mary McGrath, who both credit the second year Creative Writing module with helping them to lose their inhibitions and find a voice that they never knew they had Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Nerve, Jenny is joined by colleagues Dr. Una Kealy, Dr. Christa de Brun and Dr. Paul Clougher to talk about the Christmas-themed texts that evoke those all-important festive feelings. Poetry by Matilda Blind and Anne Sexton, James Joyce’s ‘The Dead’ and Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ provide the fodder for this delicious audible feast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Nerve, Dr. Jenny O'Connor talks to Dr. Christa de Brún and second year English students Aisling O'Byrne and Brandon Collins about George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, a novel that has last year became an Amazon bestseller despite being first published almost 70 years ago. The podcast focuses on why the novel is suddenly popular again, and the panel discusses some of its most interesting features Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Nerve, Jenny talks to Dr. Richard Hayes and students of English Dylan Phelan and Zoe O'Sullivan about the books and films that they're currently enjoying outside of class time. Books include The Unconsolable by Kazuo Ishiguro, Animal Farm by George Orwell, Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell and The Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women Writers, edited by Sinéad Gleeson. The films discussed are The Big Lebowski (dir: The Coen brothers), Midnight in Paris (dir: Woody Allen), The Siege of Jadotville (dir: Richie Smith) and The Skin I Live In (dir: Pedro Almodóvar).The podcast also features a special guest star "The Plague" who seems to be inflicting many of our contributors! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Nerve, Jenny is joined by Kate McCarthy who discusses the recent production of The Great Gatsby in Dublin’s Gate Theatre. Dr. Christa de Brún, who teaches The Great Gatsby as part of her module on The Modern Novel, tells us a little bit about the background to the novel, and third year students Garcia Rodriguez and Jessica Clerkin discuss the flawed characters at the heart of the book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode of The Nerve, Jenny speaks to Dr. Una Kealy about Teresa Deevy, a Waterford playwright born in 1894. Deevy’s play “Katie Roche” is currently running at the Abbey theatre in Dublin, a production which WIT students will attend this Saturday. Also in studio are second year English students Alessia Zuccarelli and Caleb O’Connor, who give their views on the play, and discuss the benefits of taking part in Close Encounters of the English kind: A Teresa Deevy Special on Wednesday 27th September 2017. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.