James Mulhern

Biography

Mr. James Mulhern has been teaching for twenty-six years in a variety of settings--college, high school, middle school, at-risk, and alternative environments. He has taught English, Writing, Math, History, Science, and a job skills course. Mr. Mulhern also has editorial experience working for an educational publisher in Boston (textbooks and The American Heritage Dictionary, Third Edition). In addition, Mr. Mulhern performed editorial work for Ploughshares, a literary magazine, for a Teacher Test publisher in Amherst, Massachusetts, and for a law publishing house in New York City.

He taught writing and literature at Emerson College in Boston. Currently, he is on staff as adjunct faculty at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale. Mr. Mulhern also works as a high school teacher in the Fort Lauderdale area.

Mr. Mulhern is a consultant for the National Math and Science Initiative and a Reader for the Advanced Placement English Exam (College Board). He also works as a free-lance editor and writer. Mr. Mulhern has published fiction in several literary journals. One of his stories was published in The Library's Best, a collection of best short stories. In September of 2013, he was chosen as a finalist for the Tuscany Prize in Catholic Fiction. Mr. Mulhern was awarded a fellowship to study in the United Kingdom during the summer of 2015, where he participated in writing seminars at Oxford University's Exeter College. In September of 2015, two short stories received Honorable Mentions for the Short Story America Prize. Nine short stories/adaptions from his novel "Molly Bonamici," a dark comic mystery set in Boston and South Florida, have been accepted for publication by a variety of literary journals. Two of those short stories received awards. The Missouri Review, considered one of the premier literary magazines in the United States, wrote that his novelette, A Prayer for Home, "impressed the editorial staff with its well-written, complex characters, themes of the piece, and its fantastic voice." In March of 2016, Mr. Mulhern was shortlisted for the InkTears Annual Short Story Contest.

Mr. Mulhern published a short story collection, a novel, a novelette, and four individual short stories on Amazon.com in January of 2016. He is also writing a teacher guide for the AP English Language and Composition class, and other curriculum materials. He publishes lesson and unit plans that are available on Amazon.com. One hundred percent of the proceeds Mr. Mulhern earns from advertising revenue on his education website, bestsite.us, as well as all earnings from curriculum materials that Mr. Mulhern publishes through Amazon.com, are donated to the scholarship fund that he established in his father's name or a charity.

Mr. Mulhern can be contacted through authormulhern@gmail.com.

Smashwords Interview

What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
The greatest joy of writing is imagining possibilities. Sometimes imagined life can be even more thrilling than real life.
What do your fans mean to you?
I appreciate all fans. Someone reading your work is the highest compliment. I am humbled and grateful.
Read more of this interview.

Where to find James Mulhern online

Books

A Collection for Grade Nine: Guide for Analysis
Price: $1.99 USD. Words: 14,820. Language: English. Published: February 24, 2016 . Categories: Essay » Literature
Because analysis is a higher-level critical thinking skill, students have a difficult time understanding the concept, especially if their reading comprehension is at a lower level. Most often, students end up writing summaries of what they read, rather than explaining how a text is effective through the author’s use of rhetorical strategies. This Guide provides exemplars, questions, and strategies
How to Analyze Literature
Price: $5.99 USD. Words: 44,060. Language: English. Published: February 17, 2016 . Categories: Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Teaching methods & materials / language arts
This textbook is an excellent Teacher’s Guide for the skill of Analysis. Included within the book are lesson plans, strategies, and sample analyses, ranging from Native American literature through the present day. There are also examples of how to respond to Analysis prompts on the AP English Language and Composition Exam. This is a useful Guide for the AP English Language and Composition teacher.
AP English Language and Composition Exam: Guide for Essays
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 5,910. Language: English. Published: February 15, 2016 . Categories: Nonfiction » Education & Study Guides » Essays
This Guide for the AP English Language and Composition Exam provides valuable specific, concrete directions for writing each of the three essays—the Synthesis, the Analysis, and the Argumentative. Also included is a generic AP Rubric that can be used to score any of the essays, as well as lists of the types of mistakes to avoid when writing the essays.
Assumptions: A Short Story
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 5,380. Language: English. Published: February 12, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Christian » Short stories
Helen and her grandchildren, Jimmy and Beth, take their sad neighbor Peggy Fleming to Nantasket Beach in Massachusetts on the Feast of the Blessed Mother's Assumption into Heaven on August 15th. Peggy wants to assuage her grief for her deceased husband Jim through a cure in the ocean.
Myra Bocca: A Short Story
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 8,810. Language: English. Published: February 12, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Gay
Molly and Gabe have just moved to a gay community in Wilton Manors, Florida, where they meet Myra Bocca, the proprietor of a New Age Bookstore called Sacred Ashes. Myra takes an instant liking to the pair and invites them to dinner. Before that evening, Molly meets Mr. Michaelis, who warns her to be careful of Myra. He has a long history with her and knows her quite well.
The Mannequin: A Short Story
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 7,260. Language: English. Published: February 12, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense, Fiction » Literature » Literary
Molly and her friends at Boston University try to scare a fellow student by conjuring the ghost of Eugene O'Neill, who allegedly haunts the fourth floor of their dormitory. The prank quickly falls apart and they are forced to deal with the repercussions.
Drenched to the Bone: A Short Story
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 5,550. Language: English. Published: February 12, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Literature » Literary
Jack's wife insists on a divorce. He moves to Florida, where he begins a new life teaching at an inner-city school. It seems everything has fallen apart: his marriage, the school, and his vision of the future. After the school descends into chaos, a student teaches Jack more than he wants to know about himself. With his newfound knowledge, he begins to reassess his past and his future.
A Prayer for Home: A Novelette
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 13,990. Language: English. Published: February 7, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Psychological thriller
Mrs. Muldoon wants to return home to Ireland after living many years in Boston, Massachusetts. She desires to be cured spiritually before embarking on her journey. Molly, a senior in high school, and her Nonna want to help fulfill her wish.
Assumptions and Other Stories
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 45,180. Language: English. Published: February 3, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » General
This collection of stories ranges in tone from comic to philosophic. Influenced by writers such as Flannery O’Connor, James Joyce, and Edgar Allan Poe, Mr. Mulhern renders slices of Boston and South Florida life with comedy, horror, moments of grace, and an assortment of quirky characters.