Poetry, Prose, and Pretzels: A Preview of Opus Soup

Written by Lindsay Jankowski, co-editor of Opus Hi everyone! I’m Lindsay Jankowski, one of this semester’s Co-Editors for Hope College’s Opus Literary & Arts Magazine. Unfortunately, this will be my first and last semester as an Opus Co-Editor. In three short weeks, I will be walking across the graduation stage, shaking hands with President Scogin, …

How I Met My Mother: Visiting Writers Anne-Marie Oomen and Jack Ridl

Written by Anna Stowe, Creative Writing major Down the spiral staircase nestled in the center of the Herrick District Library is an auditorium, filled with chattering spectators, all looking in anticipation toward the honey-colored stage. At 7:00 sharp, the room stilled, as eyes were drawn toward two cozy, green armchairs divided by a small table …

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, …

Speaking Truth: Visiting Writers Melissa Valentine and Michael X. Wang

Written by Anna Snader, a freshman at Hope studying Social Studies Education with an interest in English Accompanied by soft piano music and the warm lights of Winants Auditorium, Michael X. Wang and Melissa Valentine read us their stories for the 40th anniversary of The Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series.  First, we heard from Michael …

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 …

A Sneak Peek of Opus Soup

Hi! My name is Eileen Ellis, and I am one of the co-editors of Opus Literary & Arts Magazine. Now, I don’t know about anyone else, but this semester has been a doozy. I mean, reeeaaally a dooooozy. And if you know me, you’ll have already heard me complain endlessly about my parking ticket and my …

An Author Stops on 10th Street: Matt de la Peña with the Little Read Lakeshore

Written by Piper Daleiden, Hope College English and Psychology Major, Student Managing Editor for the English Department As part of the NEA Little Read Lakeshore, Matt de la Peña visited Hope College, where he spoke in classes, presented to elementary school children from the area, and finished with a keynote speech. De la Peña is …