Kathleen McInerney – författare

In a series of critical and biographical essays, Too Smart to Be Sentimental offers a feminist literary history of twentieth-century Irish America. This collection introduces the reader to the works of twelve contemporary Irish American women writers, some of whom are well known, such as Joyce Carol Oates, Alice McDermott, and Tess Gallagher, and some of whom are equally deserving of recognition.Each chapter focuses on a particular writer, describes and discusses that writer's most important works, contextualizes the discussion with relevant biographical material, and highlights why the writer is representative of the Irish American literary tradition. Too Smart to Be Sentimental—the first critical study of contemporary Irish American women authors—will be invaluable to students and scholars of Irish studies and Irish American literature.

As part of the American school reform movement, administrators are searching for ways of measuring students' skills and progress within the system. Courts and McInerney focus on the qualitative assessment possible through the use of student portfolios, particularly at the college level. The authors are concerned that the teaching and learning process will be subsumed by assessment and will become even more test-driven than it now is. A critical look at multiple-choice, standardized examinations shows how unmindful our educational testing is of psychosocial diversity. The authors warn that in upgrading American education nationwide, more effective and self-confirming measures should be faculty developed and locally controlled. The authors propose a new compact among teachers and students as they take mutual responsibility for the learning process and changing curriculum.