The Big Read Kickoff: Dr. Fred Johnson and Dr. Ernest Cole on Stories

By Natalie Glover, a Secondary English Education student and an intern for the Big Read The NEA Big Read Lakeshore program is dedicated to spreading love and passion for reading in Ottawa, Allegan, and Muskegon counties. On Monday, Oct 30, the program had its kickoff event! Hope Professors Dr. Ernest Cole (English) and Dr. Fred …

Navigating the Literary Landscape: Alumni Spotlight with Meaghan Minkus (’11)

Submitted by Hope Senior, Piper Daleiden “Navigating the Literary Landscape: Careers for English Majors” is an alumni panel that will be held on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. in the Boerigter Center’s Learning Lab. Meaghan Minkus ’11, Sarah McCabe ’07 and Chris O’Brien ’12 will share experiences, advice, and practical tips from their …

New Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Esther Odukomaiya

Submitted by Hope College senior, Piper Daleiden What class(es) are you teaching this year? ENGL 113, ENGL 230 (Fall): Ethnic Perspectives in American Literature, ENGL 230 (Spring): Black Women Writers, and ENGL 335 (Spring): Black Science/Speculative Fiction. What do you love about teaching? I derive great satisfaction when I see my students progress –whether it’s in …

Leaving the Comfort Zone: Alumni Spotlight with Kelsie Cavanaugh (’20)

Submitted by Hope College senior, Piper Daleiden What do you do now? And we’d love to hear a bit about how you got there as well. I am an editorial assistant for the Business, Computing, and Career Education team at Goodheart-Willcox in Tinley Park, Illinois. Graduating from Hope in 2020 made finding a job a …

Does “Christian” actually mean anything?

By Dr. Kristin VanEyk, Assistant Professor of English, Hope College Hello! My name is Kristin VanEyk and I’m a recent addition to the English Department faculty where I teach writing and secondary English education courses. I’m a lifelong Christian educator. I’ve been teaching in Christian schools since 2006, first as a high school English teacher, and …

An Act of Remembrance: Visiting Writers Sumita Chakraborty and Noé Alvarez

Written by Elsa Kim, Creative Writing major Sumita Chakraborty—essayist, scholar, and author of Arrow—strode to the podium. Setting down her sheaves of notes, she held up her phone. “I’ve set a duck noise timer,” she told us with a smile, “When the duck quacks I know I’ve run out of time.” Having introduced us to …

Faculty Spotlight: On Martyrdom…and the Research Process

By Dr. Marla Lunderberg, Associate Professor of English, Hope College What words or images come to mind when you read the word “martyr”? Lions? Gladiators? Jeering crowds and public amphitheaters? Burning at the stake? A crucifix?  The images you draw on probably depend on the context behind your quest. If you’re in a religion class, …

From Literature to Lawyers: How I Used My English Degrees

Written by Ben Opipari, Ph.D., a Hope alum and business owner. What I really wanted to be was a rock star. I settled on starting a business helping attorneys at some of the most powerful law firms in the world perfect the art of clear writing. I wanted to be a rock star because I …

“In Theory”: How I Learned to Defend Literature

 Essay written by Kallen Mohr from her Intro to Literary Theory course, Fall 2022 Since my time as an elementary school student, I have felt the need to defend my interest in stories. Of course, when I was younger, it was easier. Finding importance in the made-up was an expected part of childhood. However, as …