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 …
Category Archives: Faculty
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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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 …
Student Feature: Shanley Smith
This summer I had the opportunity to attend Chris Dombrowski’s Bear Grass Writing Retreat at a dude ranch in Montana, where I was able to meet and talk with a number of authors, agents, and publishers. My time there reminded me of the necessity of connecting writers together for both artistic and emotional encouragement. Within …
DuMez Investiture Speech
At the Spring 2015 Board of Trustees meeting, the board awarded the DuMez Endowed Professorship to English faculty William Pannapacker. The post was previously held by Dr. John Cox, now professor emeritus of the English department. Dr. Pannapacker will hold this endowed professorship for ten years. After an entertaining and heartfelt introduction from Dr. Kathleen Verduin at the investiture dinner, …
Of Masks and Men: Nathaniel Hawthorne and Human Existence
By Ernest Cole As a student of English at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, I was attracted to the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne. His rendering of the character Young Goodman Brown was compelling to me. Of particular importance is Goodman Brown’s search for the truth, and his journey into the forest where he confronts …
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