Helping Sick Kids Just Be Kids: Alumni Interview with Sarah Smith ’97

Sarah (Lepard) Smith (’97) is a former secondary English and Psychology education major at Hope. Currently she works at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids. We asked Sarah to share some of her walk with us. Share your work path in your pre-Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital years. After graduation, I was hired as a …

The Kid with the Book in Her Hands

On the second day of English 480: Literary Theory, I ask students to bring a “mirror paper” reflecting on their study of English literature thus far in their lives. As they read their responses out loud to the class this year, I was struck by how well they articulated a variety of perspectives — with …

“What can I learn?”: An Interview with Heather Sellers

This Tuesday, 10/1, the Hope campus will experience a double homecoming. Today we catch up with memoirist, essayist, mentor, award-winner, and former Hope professor Heather Sellers. Come see her, along with former Hope student Mira Bartók, at the upcoming Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series event, plus two additional events! (Details below.) Professor Sellers, you’re well-remembered …

A Fantastical World of Words and Pictures: Mira Bartók Interview

Today we have the pleasure of interviewing former Hope student Mira Bartók, now a professional writer and illustrator. Author of the inventive novel The Wonderling and the award-winning memoir The Memory Palace, she will be visiting Hope on Tuesday, October 1 as part of the Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series! Mira Bartók, many of us …

10 Crisp, Well-Seasoned Quotations about Fall

A new season’s upon us here in the Northern United States — fall! And a new season’s upon us here at Hope College — the presidency of Matthew Scogin, inaugurated today. In celebration, here are a few of our favorite literary quotations on changing seasons and new beginnings. As a special encore below, we’ve also …

Rebel Butterflies, One-Eared Foxes, & the Return of a Hope Prof: Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series Fall 2019 Preview

The glow of summer is fading and fall is preparing to blanket the campus, which means that once again we’ve arrived at a new semester… and new season of the Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series (JRVWS)!  We’ve got a great mix of books and authors this fall, from middle grade fantasy to historical fiction. You …

“My Summer Vacation”: English Writes Back

Welcome back, people of Hope, and welcome class of 2023! It has been a summer of big changes in the English Department. We’ve said a fond goodbye to retiring professors Beth Trembley and Dianne Portfleet, we’ve regretfully seen Prof. Kendra Parker and office manager Raquel Niles go off to new jobs with our good wishes, …

10 Literary Vacations to Tide You Over Till Summer

Ah, the last few weeks of the Spring semester. There’s so much left to learn and do, and yet we find our minds, on occasion, straying to thoughts of vacation. So, in no particular order, here are 10 of our favorite literary vacations. They will sweep you away… and have you back home just a …

“Why Study English and Business?” An Alumni Feature by Matthew Harkema ’19

As my four years at Hope College are coming to an inevitable end, the reason why I committed myself to an English and Business double major is becoming significantly more relevant to my vocational choices. In the past I’ve had many agitating conversations, trying to explain my reasons for choosing two opened-ended majors, even though …

Hope College Academy of American Poets Prize 2019

We’re delighted to share this year’s recognized poets and poems below. Congratulations to these talented student artists! About the Prize The Hope College Academy of American Poets (AAP) Prize award is funded by the AAP’s University and College Poetry Prize program. The academy began the program in 1955 at 10 schools, and now sponsors nearly 200 …