December can be dark and dreary in Michigan and other northern places, a season of cold and clouds and final exams. The holidays we celebrate during this time bring warmth and light we often badly need. But if we’re weary or chilled, in body or soul, how do we get in the spirit? When I …
Continue reading “A Christmas Treasury from the English Faculty”
I am terrible with good-byes. When I used to spend the summer on my uncle’s Iowa farm, feeding calves, mowing the large swaths of grass, driving tractor for the hay balers, I would hide in the barn when it was time to return with my parents to a Chicago suburb. I didn’t want to say …
Continue reading ““A Gesture, A Face, A Life”: A Faculty Feature from Natalie Dykstra”
During a recent job interview at Baker Publishing Group in Ada, Michigan, the interviewer asked how I had become interested in the position of an acquisitions assistant. Trying to appeal to my audience, I made the classic joke, “Well, I was an English major. So eventually I had to ask myself the question, what am …
Continue reading ““How I Got My Start in Publishing”: An Alumni Feature by Melanie Burkhardt ’18”
Professor of English Kathleen Verduin shares her insights on a Hope icon, prior to the dedication of Muste’s sculpture on November 13 at 3pm at Van Wylen Library. Tell me you’ve heard of him: Abraham Johannes Muste (1885-1967), labor leader, world-renowned pacifist, and probably Hope’s most famous alumnus. Born in the Netherlands, Muste immigrated to …
We’re delighted to have the chance today to catch up with illustrious alumna Katherine Bode-Lang. So, Katie, tell us a little about what you’re up to now, and how you got there. I’m a working poet and mother: I write, and I’m the Director of Education and Quality Management in the Office for Research Protections …
Registration for Spring 2019 is here, and English has just what you need, whether you want to curl up with a good book, work on your stand-up routine, or finally pen that perfect sonnet. Scroll down for a taste of our offerings… and please visit plus.hope.edu for a complete list. We’d love for you to …
Continue reading “Registering for Spring Courses? Fear not!”
We teach because we are not immortal; knowledge must be passed down. We get older, but the students remain the same age. Every fall renews that understanding. I started at Hope College in 2000; newborns from that year are appearing in my classes now. My three daughters have grown up in Holland, and my oldest …
Continue reading ““Some Autumn Reflections”: A Faculty Feature from William Pannapacker”
It’s been 25 years since Hope English professor Jack Ridl founded his Visiting Writers Series — JRVWS for short — and it’s time to celebrate! We have remarkable events scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on September 27th and November 13th. Will we see you there? Hope College has a true legacy in creating a rich community …
Continue reading “25 & Counting: The Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series 2018 Preview”
At the end of Spring semester, the last exam lets out. Students scatter to all parts of Michigan, the country, and the world. Meanwhile, the professors gather canned goods and bottled water, select their favorite classroom, turn off the lights, and slip under a desk to hibernate for the summer. Wait… can that be right? …
