As I walked out of an English course, Irish Literature, in late March of my senior year at Hope, I scrolled through new emails on my phone. My heart nearly stopped on the second-floor landing of Lubbers Hall, as I received the news that I had been accepted into the Chicago Police Academy. I had …
Author Archives: Raquel Niles
Alumni Feature: Peter Derby, Class of 2005
Dear Reader, One of my former professors asked me to write to you. She suggested, in not so many words, you might like to know how having an English major at Hope College can influence your future. Not knowing you personally, the next best thing I can do is write a letter to “past me”—the …
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Alumni Feature: “Reading Against The Grain”
What are you doing now? Currently, I am a Writing Center mentor at Western Governors University, an online nonprofit university that primarily serves adults going back to school for their undergraduate or graduate degrees. I adore this work. I feel really lucky to be part of it. I get to work with dedicated students all …
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Registration? Fear Not – English Department Has Your Back
Courses for Spring 2018 REGISTRATION! It strikes fear into the hearts of even the hardiest of students, but you, oh lovers of literature, have no worries. Why? Because the English department offers so many terrific courses, you can’t go wrong! Check out these unique offerings in literature and creative writing for Spring 2018: The Beatniks …
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EVENT: JRVWS Author, Paisley Rekdal
The second event of this year’s Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series is almost here! This Thursday, October 19, JRVWS will host multi-genre writer Paisley Rekdal. Rekdal is the author of two books of essays and five books of poetry and has had work featured in a number of noteworthy journals. Rekdal’s visit will include a …
Alumni Feature: “Do What You Love”
What are you doing now? I am a Senior Vice President and Group Publisher for Zondervan, which is part of HarperCollins Global Publishing. I oversee the acquisitions, marketing, and publicity for Zondervan and Zonderkidz titles. We publish books, gift books, videos, Bibles, curriculum and digital products including audiobooks, ebooks, digital books, and apps. How did …
Faculty Feature: Welcome to Dr. Christiana Salah, Assistant Professor of English
What do you enjoy most about teaching? The number one thing? Conversation. To me, there are few things in life more fun than discussing a good story. Maybe that’s because I grew up in a family of very, very talkative bookworms! I still talk to my sister and brother about books all the time, and—like …
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after the birth of the simple light
At the 2017 Pre-College Conference, Dr. Jesse Montaño shared his poem, “after the birth of the simple light,” which he wrote for the Hope College community. I encourage you to read this beautiful piece and reflect on the power of words. Enjoy!
Some Words For The Summer
A Flight for Time By Dana Lamers VanderLugt A friend once told me that if you really want to do something, first write down all the good excuses you’ve got not to do it. When it comes to writing, I’ve got a few: ● All the words have been said. ● I don’t have the …
Congratulations to our award winners!
We’re SO PROUD of our English Department Award winners – many congratulations! George Birkhoff English Prize: Rebecca L. Stanton Erika Brubaker ’92 Award for Promising Achievement in the Study of Literature: Morgan S. Boer, Melanie G. Burkhardt, Kellyanne E. Fitzgerald, Theaphania A. Patterson, Hannah J. Pikaart, Shanley E. Smith, …