Mairead Byrne

Mairéad Byrne began her career in Dublin, writing for newspapers, magazines, radio and theater. Her first book, Joyce—A Clew, was a short experimental biography of James Joyce, with illustrations by Henry J. Sharpe. Since then she has published six collections of poetry: The Best of (What’s Left of) Heaven (Publishing Genius, 2010/2019), Famosa na sua cabeça (Dobra Editorial, 2015), You Have to Laugh: New & Selected Poems (Barrow Street, 2013), SOS Poetry (ubu /Editions 2007), Talk Poetry (Miami University Press), and Nelson & The Huruburu Bird (Wild Honey 2003); as well as nine poetry chapbooks and three collaborative books with visual artists. Essays include “Light in July,” in David Jhave Johnston’s ReRites: Raw Data/Response (Anteism 2019) and “The Shed of Poetry,” in A Line of Tiny Zeros in the Fabric: Essays on the Poetry of Maurice Scully, edited by Ken Keating (Shearsman, 2020) and a poem stamped into the sidewalk (City of Providence Art in City Life/Sidewalk Tattoo Project).

Mairéad earned a Higher Diploma in Education (First Class Hons) from Trinity College Dublin and an MA in American Poetry & Creative Writing (Poetry) and PhD in Theory & Cultural Studies, both from Purdue University. In 2022, she was awarded an MA in Gaelic Literature (First Class Hons) by the Department of Modern Irish, University College Cork. She has completed residencies in the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig, Constance Saltonstall Foundation, Siena Art Institute, Seoul Art Space Yeonhui, Storyknife and the Cill Rialaig Project.

Since coming to RISD in 2002, she has designed and taught undergraduate courses in Visual Poetry, Sound Poetry, Digital Poetics, Material Poetics and Contemporary Poetry; Beginning and Advanced Poetry Writing Workshops; and the First-Year Literature Seminar. Recent graduate courses include Visual Poetry Studio (Illustration) and the Collegiate Teaching Practicum (Graduate Studies/Teaching + Learning in Art + Design).

In 2013, Mairéad served as chief critic for the European Honors Program in Rome. In 2016, she was honored with the John R. Frazier Award for Excellence in Teaching. Current work includes a close study of Brian Merriman’s exceptionally rich 1,026 line poem Cúirt an Mheán Oíche (The Midnight Court) and, when lucky, poems.