Back to Rewriting

30 April 2019: As this semester wraps up, I find myself looking towards the summer session and the (online!) section of Advanced Composition I'll be teaching in just a few weeks. Like the first time I taught the class (in 2011!), I am using Joseph Harris's Rewriting. There's a new-ish edition and I've been (re)reading it this morning. Once again, I am so charmed by his voice in this piece, particularly the way he frames the rhetorical act: charitable, gracious, fair, even hopeful. Just one example, from the Introduction: "For while the point of academic writing is never merely to explain what someone else has said, to respond to others you need also to offer an accurate account of their work. Effective use begins in generous understanding" (5).

I mean, isn't that also just good advice for talking, working, and living with others?

"An Adieu"

29 April 2019: This poem, courtesy of the Poem-a-Day email, sat in my inbox for a few day (as they sometimes do) but seems to fit what I'm feeling today.

Busy Sunday...

28 April 2019:

[Catch-up post...]

Sunday featured breakfast with Kathy before she left town, a Shepherd softball game, a WISH reception, a much-delayed birthday dinner with Anna, and Midnight Breakfast. Whew! Anyway, a couple of pictures...

At the Five Year Anniversary WISH Reception with Jordan.

Midnight Breakfast with Hannah and Amy

Tommy

27 April 2019: Saw Tommy at the Kennedy Center with Amy, her nephew Calvin, and Kathy. It was an amazing show.

McMurran Day

26 April 2019: So excited to see our talented majors named McMurran Scholars today.

NASA Day

25 April 2019: Snuck out of the office before 4:00 today, which felt just a bit naughty. (I know, I know...still struggling with this.) Hit the grocery store with the hopes of cooking something more complicated than pasta or eggs for a change and then spending the rest of the afternoon/evening grading essays. And I was really into that plan.

As I unpacked my groceries, my phone dinged. One of my students--an English minor/Biology major, and someone I talked about a lot in my Professor of the Year interview--sent me a reminder about her presentation at "NASA Day," where STEM students who received grants from NASA present their research. She has mentioned it before, but this email, sent just as they were about to start, made me realize how much she wanted me there. So I put the groceries away, headed back to campus, and pulled into the parking lot maybe 25 minutes after I left the first time. (The benefits/drawbacks of living so close to campus...)

I'd been to NASA Day before, though it's been many years. It was so cool to go again and see this side of campus life. I certainly didn't understand most of it, but I enjoyed myself. And my student's presentation--on the patterns of hissing from cockroaches during courtship--it was, in  my humble opinion, one of the best.

Believe me: this post isn't about me being some kind of ultra-dedicated faculty member. It's about counting blessings (something I've been doing a lot of), showing gratitude, and embracing once again what this campus community has offered me for years. Eventually, I did make that dinner and grade some essays, though not as many as I had planned. I even got a decent walk in. In other words, there was time for it all. There isn't always, but sometimes you can shift/change/re-focus and find a way.

"Emmylou"

24 April 2019:

"I'll be your Emmylou and I'll be your June
If you'll be my Gram and my Johnny too
No, I'm not asking much of you
Just sing, little darling, sing with me..." --First Aid Kit, "Emmylou"

The semester's wrapping up, the weather is beautiful, and I've spent the morning (not unhappily) grading American literature essays. Not much to complain about at all.

I find myself  filled with a kind of pleasant pre-restlessness (is that a thing?) and thinking Big Thoughts (again, not in a bad way). This song, which I first heard at this concert back in 2015 when First Aid Kit opened for Brandi Carlile, seems like a good soundtrack for the day.

Capstone presentation...

23 April 2019: Today I got to see perhaps the most talented student I've ever worked with present her Honors Capstone Project, for which I served as her mentor/advisor. What a pleasure it was!

Nephew time...

22 April 2019: Saw these two today and found it quite delightful.

Easter 2019

21 April 2019: Got to spend Easter with Erin, Eric, Krista, and Isla.

Also Got a chance to look at one of Krista's notebooks today and found all kinds of delightfully sweet and weird bits of writing.

These are all the important questions, right? 

No idea what's going on here, but my sister was a bit worried. 

"Mermaids are cool and fun." Go ahead and prove her wrong. 

I mean, right? 

"Make shure you soar." 

"Yay! We are funny and fun an cool." 

"I like my mom and dad because they let me go to the doller bin at Target." 

This is blurry, but she had it hanging by her bed:
"My Day!
1. wake up
2. east food
3. dress up
4. play
5. eat food
6. go to bed!"
Sounds like a good day!

"Why Do I Love Thee?"

20 April 2019: Lovely little poem today from the poem-a-day email and it set the tone for what has been a lovely day.

"Why Do I Love Thee?"
Sadakichi Hartmann

Why I love thee?
       Ask why the seawind wanders,
Why the shore is aflush with the tide,
Why the moon through heaven meanders
Like seafaring ships that ride
On a sullen, motionless deep;
       Why the seabirds are fluttering the strand
         Where the waves sing themselves to sleep
            And starshine lives in the curves of the sand!

Notre Dame bees...

19 April 2019: I didn't even know there were bees on the roof of Notre Dame, but when Amy told me this story today (that they survived the fire), I was delighted. It seems like such an unlikely outcome, such a random bit of good news. And isn't there something that speaks to the message of Holy Week?

"The Rider"

18 April 2019: Carrying this one (and four others) today to celebrate "Poem in Your Pocket Day."

"The Rider"
Naomi Shihab Nye

A boy told me
if he roller-skated fast enough
his loneliness couldn’t catch up to him,
the best reason I ever heard
for trying to be a champion.
What I wonder tonight
pedaling hard down King William Street
is if it translates to bicycles.
A victory! To leave your loneliness
panting behind you on some street corner
while you float free into a cloud of sudden azaleas,
pink petals that have never felt loneliness,
no matter how slowly they fell.

Student presentations...

17 April 2019: Spent this evening listening to great presentations by students from English, History, and Political Science. Another reminder of the amazing work happening at Shepherd!

Back to trivia

16 April 2019: After missing last week's game because we were in Charleston, Amy and I were back hosting trivia tonight. When we walked in, one of the teams had arrived early and hung a sign by our booth that said "Heidi Hanrahan, WV Professor of the Year." They also hung up the newspaper coverage. Other teams gave me cards and gifts and were just so kind. I've been doing a lot of blessing counting lately and these people and the happiness they bring once a week are definitely on that list.

On the radio!

15 April 2019: I don't have the guts to listen to it myself, but I got to be on the radio this morning, which was pretty cool. I didn't embarrass myself (too much!) and managed to stifle a few coughs as I continue to fight this cold. So: another great experience!

Did it!

14 April 2019: With a successful (I hope?) presentation at the Lectures and Libations series tonight, I finished up my two weeks of "extracurricular" craziness. It started with the West Liberty Program Review, included Alumni Weekend, the trip to Charleston, a Sigma Tau Delta potluck at the house, and the Little Women event yesterday. And in the midst of all of that...classes, meetings, and conferences with students.

This week coming up looks to be relatively quiet, perfect for nursing a little cold that came on on Friday. But here tonight, looking back over these past two weeks, I feel so blessed. Tired as heck, but blessed indeed.

Little Women Tea Party

13 April 2019: Today Carrie and I led discussion at a Little Women Tea Party sponsored by the public library. I am dragging a bit from a cold that came on yesterday, but that hour or so flew by and was so lovely.

Wes at 15...

12 April 2019:

Wesley turned 15 today. Here he is, looking cute as ever.

Some of the graduating Sigma Tau Delta students came over tonight to decorate their graduation caps. They also brought a cake for me and Wesley. (It says "Congrats Dr. H and Happy B-day Wes!" The cake tastes delicious. And they are much better at cap-decorating than cake-writing

Back in the classroom...

11 April 2019: I was back in the classroom today for the first time in a week. Even under ordinary circumstances that would feel like a long time, but with Alumni Weekend and Charleston and a million other little things also in that week...well, it felt like forever. I was actually kind of itching to get back in and feel that part of "normal" again. And, of course, my students delivered. Here's my favorite exchange, delivered early in class, as I was giving them an end-of-the-semester pep-talk:

Me: This is the time of the semester when the wheels come off the bus, so to speak, if you don't take care of yourself and ask for help when you need it.

Student #1 [Nods knowingly]: My rims are smashed.

Student #2: My wheels are sparking.

They crack me up. Incidentally, I had paper conferences with both of them that day and they are doing just fine.

What a day...

10 April 2019: What a whirlwind 24 hours this has been! Still in a bit of shock, but feeling profoundly blessed and grateful, especially for all of the lovely support from my amazing students, colleagues, friends, and family. Celebrating this award just days after my 20th (!) college reunion reminds me how lucky I am in so many ways—and what a wonderful role higher education has played in every aspect of my life.

Off to Charleston...

9 April 2019: Posting early today, before heading to Charleston for the Professor of the Year Banquet where they will announce the winner. I am nervous, of course, but really and truly don't expect to win. That isn't false modesty or a performance and I don't feel bad about it. I am just so happy to get this far in the process.

As I sit here this morning, with some time to kill before leaving, I just keep thinking of the word "gratitude." It's one I have used again and again during this process. My last post on the subject had a bullet-list of reasons for that gratitude, but maybe today I'll just focus on Carrie, Amy, and Dow (my dean), three amazing people who are accompanying me on a five-hour trip for tonight's event. This is the busiest time of the year for them, too, so to give up a day and a half for me? I get a bit teary just thinking about it.

Right on time...

8 April 2019: Right in the midst of the busiest and most stressful couple of weeks in as long as I can remember, spring arrives on campus like a gift from God. Walking around today, I could almost physically feel myself getting happier, more calm, and just...better.

Alumni Weekend: Sunday

7 April 2019:

[Catch-up post: In a bit of a crunch this week so will have to keep even these catch-up posts quick if I want to stay relatively sane...]

Hit The Homeplace with a big crowd of buds before heading home. All in all, just a fantastic weekend.

Alumni Weekend: Saturday

6 April 2019:

[Catch-up post: In a bit of a crunch this week so will have to keep even these catch-up posts quick if I want to stay relatively sane...]

Saturday was an amazing day, packed with fun. I am especially partial to this picture.

Alumni Weekend: Friday

5 April 2019:

[Catch-up post: In a bit of a crunch this week so will have to keep even these catch-up posts quick if I want to stay relatively sane...]

Reunited with my four favorite RC buddies on Friday. 

Post-Convention Check-in

4 April 2019: Last week, I sent the Sigma Tau Delta students off to the international convention in St. Louis, not able to go with them this time. One by one, I've checked in with them this week. As I could have anticipated, they did great and had a great time. My favorite response? Katie, who I talked to today, talked about attending a session on Dickens since she's writing her paper for my class on Great Expectations. "None of the papers were about this book. But some of the ideas? I thought, 'I can use that!'" That's what it's all about!

Off the ledge...

3 April 2019: A late afternoon email sent me into a bit of a stress-filled freak-out. How lucky, then, that Carrie was in her office and I could ask her to "talk me off the ledge." And she did. Just a reminder of how blessed I am with colleagues who double as good friends.

Day Three of Dickinson

2 April 2019: Today was our last full day of Dickinson discussion in ENGL 312. As always, she never disappoints, and (also as usual), neither did my students. Some selected insights:

1) A student sharing how she kept thinking about "A Bird came down the Walk" after seeing a bird in the middle of the road that would not move: "That bird was going through something" and "I thought, 'You just stand there if you need to.'" We had a great (and funny) discussion about anthropomorphism and projection--and how Dickinson's poem resists both urges. By the way, this is the same student who shared this gem a couple of years ago.

2) About "He fumbles at your Soul": "[It's about when] God goes to work on you. And how fun it's not." My response? "Write that in your notes--all of it" to the rest of the class. 

Early April Energy Boost?

1 April 2019: In lots of ways, this is the worst time of year to duck away from Shepherdstown for a day*, but I spent the day at West Liberty University, learning about their English department. What an impressive group of faculty and students! It’s encouraging, energizing, and inspiring to see another group so dedicated to their university, their students, and the humanities.

*approximately 40 emails came through today. Fun stuff.