First open window in months...

28 February 2026: I have to close them soon as the evening draws near, but temperatures in the mid-60s today have made for a couple of open windows and a couple of very happy cats. 

Come on, spring!

Ciao Pasta

27 February 2026: Very excited to have found a new restaurant: Ciao Pasta in Hagerstown. Fresh, real Italian food. A perfect dinner after seeing the fun-enough-but-not-great Scream 7.

Farewell to Tracy...

26 February 2026: Our wonderful registrar's retirement reception was today. She's been such a steady presence during all of my time at Shepherd. I'll miss her a great deal. 

She told me, "I guess it's up to you to keep things on track now..." Ha! 

Legacies...

25 February 2026: Today I was working with Grady, one of my English 102 students, on his essay. It's a profile of Matt, the coach of his mountain biking team. Grady is working out how best to make the point he wants to make: that Matt has impacted so many lives. Coaching, of course, is a kind of teaching. 

And that had me thinking about teaching in general. No need to write it because I've written it so many times before but here it is again: the time I spent today in the classroom and with my students in my office? The best part of the day.

I've been thinking a lot about legacies lately; losing your dad, seeing your best friend lose her partner, and then losing a cousin in three months will do that to you. 

So, too, will a messed up world get you wondering about what difference you can make.

There are so many reasons a career in teaching is a gift, but the clearest reason is how, if you do it even kind of right, you are leaving a legacy. 

Thought about that some more this afternoon when I recognized a former student working at Walgreen's. I just had him for one semester--in English 204--but the very kind (and unprompted) things he said about that class today almost got me teary.

I kept thinking about it all as I moved to the greeting card section to pick up sympathy cards for my aunt, uncle, and cousins. And then I really got teared up, right there in Walgreen's. (Getting emotional at the pharmacy? It's happened a few times before.) 

I am not saying teaching will be my whole legacy someday, but if it's most of it? That's enough.

Singing telegram...

24 February 2026: Another long day, but one highlight was delivering a "Happy Birthday" singing telegram to Aidan, who turned 21 today. He's such a good kid: friendly, kind, and genuinely fun to talk to. 

Pranks in heaven?

23 February 2026: My cousin Troy died today, after a long battle with cancer. He was a good guy with a mischievous streak that matched Ryan's. So today I find myself wondering if there are pranks in heaven, because if so, it's about to be a bit more "lit" up there. (A hidden reference there to one of their favorite pranks.)

Just so much loss this winter. It's overwhelming and I don't know what to say to my aunt, uncle, and cousins. But I'll do my best and start with "I'm just so sorry."

Editor hat...

22 February 2026: Got to wear my (Associate) "Editor hat" today as I finally spent a decent chunk of time going over a manuscript on Alcott that we're hoping to publish in the same series that my book is part of. I've been in this kind of role in much smaller ways--journal articles, a special issue of Studies in American Humor--but this is more intense--and cool! I am not sure how up I'd be for the head editor role, but this stuff? So far--fun, interesting, and the good kind of challenging. 

Academic Showdown!

21 February 2026: Had a lot of fun moderating three games at this Academic Showdown held on campus today. Channeled my inner Ken Jennings, though I will admit I was nervous! I didn't want to mess anything up for these wonderfully nerdy high school kids. 

"Too Late"

20 February 2026: We've had a good week in my seminar (I think?), moving through a week of stories by Rose Terry Cooke. She's an author who fascinates me, but I wasn't sure if students would feel the same way. 

Of the stories we did this week (which also included "Mrs. Flint's Married Experience," "How Celia Changed Her Mind," and "Freedom Wheeler's Controvery with Providence"), "Too Late," which we discussed today, is probably the hardest sell. But I think they appreciated it--both its artistry and its enduring value. 

What a blast it's been teaching this course! 

Board stuff...

19 February 2026: Last spring, I took on an administrative task that I was not happy about: serving as the faculty representative to our Board of Governors. I was willing to serve, but I was also downright angry about it. Today, though, during a very long and important meeting, I realized that all of that anger is gone. 

We are a group of very different people who disagree about so many things, but it's really inspiring to see us come together in support of what's best for the University. 

To realize that anger is gone? Pretty awesome. 

And yes: another reminder that there is something so special about Shepherd. 

5 game streak!

18 February 2026: Very busy day, one with a couple of not fun meetings. What powered me through? Knowing where I was headed to when that last meeting ended: over to the Butcher Center.

What a treat to see the women's basketball team win their fifth game in a row tonight. They are 7-1 since January 24. That loss? It was by one point. 

So much fun to watch them play!

Little spring preview...

17 February 2026: Warmest day here since mid-November, I think. I didn't take my walk until nearly 5:00, but did so in just a sweater. It felt so good. Come on, spring!

Back at Bender's

16 February 2026: First of two weeks subbing at Bender's tonight. Always nice to see the crowd there, who are so friendly and fun. I expected to be more stressed about the "lost time" to get work done, but I must really be on the last turn of this stretch of busy weeks because my vibes are pretty good. 

"Wuthering Heights"

15 February 2026: Saw the new "Wuthering Heights" (whose creators/marketers insist must be put in quotation marks) this afternoon. I keep thinking about Dana Steven's review--with the subtitle "Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is gorgeous, throbbing, and proudly idiotic"--and how spot-on it is. Beautiful, horny as heck, and dumb...but dumb fun. I just told myself, "shut off any obvious objection and just enjoy it." And I did. 

"We can be heroes..."

14 Feburary 2026: "Many pundits have observed that the world hasn’t been quite right since David Bowie went from earthly starman to heavenly black star a decade ago. 2016 was hard on the world, and especially cruel for music fans the year we lost both Bowie and Prince. But in 2026, as we persist in the fallen world, Bowie left us one marked by cruelty, strife and hardship. And as people on street do their best to fight back against injustice, I can’t help but think that the Thin White Duke had it exactly right. We really all can be heroes. Just for one day." --Chris Molanphy at the end of Part 2 of the Hit Parade episode about David Bowie. 

I found this ending so moving. Molanphy isn't usually this pointed and stirring in his (always excellent) podcast. But these are extraordinary times and we need all the inspiration we can get.  

Senseless...

13 February 2026: Tough day for our campus community. A student was killed in a shooting early this morning. Right across the street from my house, in fact. Nineteen years old. What is there even to say?

Pre-Birthday Lunch for Hannah...

12 February 2026: Busy day on campus, but not a bad one. (I wonder how many times I've written some version of that very simple sentence...) The best part, though, was having a pre-birthday lunch with Hannah. It means a lot to be able to celebrate someone so special to me and the world.

It says a lot about Hannah that celebrating her birthday is a kind of gift for me. Our lunches are always, paradoxically, never long enough and just what I need. 

"Surprised by joy"

11 February 2026: Yesterday, Tim told me--when we were talking about changes on campus--that he was happy to see me looking hopeful. So that's been on my mind (in a good way).

As I am starting to wrap up a stretch of extra-intense work (might fully catch my breath a week from tomorrow? fingers crossed!), it felt great to get over to the women's basketball game this evening and watch them notch another win. They're 6-10 now, but are on a little hot streak. Just fun, fun, fun to see them win. 

This post's title, the titular opening words of a Wordsworth poem, came into my head today when I was thinking about all of this: "Surprised by joy..." 

What I remember about studying this poem for the first time is how it shifts even in that first line--there's such drama in it. It opens not in the moment of joy, but in the moment after, when the speaker realizes he is surprised by it. And then it shifts to grief. 

I was surprised by joy--and yes, right there in the surprise, in fact, pushing it into being was (is) grief. But the grief didn't swallow the joy. 

There is something else there, though, ridiing alongside joy and surprise...a fear that the rug will be pulled out again. Can't let that fear take over, though. 

Tara's birthday

10 February 2026: I can't be with my sister today as she celebrates her birthday, but we got to talk on the phone (and yes, I sang "Happy Birthday" to her). She's getting over being sick, but was still so positive and sunny. Everything we've gone through in the past few months makes me appreciate all over again what an exceptionally kind and decent person she is--and so strong. 

Just so grateful to be her sister.

"His Heart's Desire"

9 February 2026: What fun it was to teach Alice Dunbar-Nelson's "His Heart's Desire" today in my seminar. These students are so good at talking about this material and it continues to be a delight to teach things I've never taught before.

Long, long, busy, busy days, but those three hours this morning with my students? The best.

Super Bowl Sunday

8 February 2026:

My grief for my father hits me in strange ways sometimes. 

This evening, after a quiet but good day of getting lots of work done and feeling fine (even good!), I find myself tearing up. 

It’s Super Bowl Sunday. I don’t really care about football and won’t be watching the game. But I started thinking about how my mom and dad watched every year, sometimes hosting my siblings and sometimes going over to their houses. I would sometimes call and do the whole “phone passed around” thing. 

And he’s not there this year. 

I felt similarly on New Year’s Eve, though it resonated in a different way. I thought, “This is my first New Year’s Eve without my dad being alive.” And I have so many memories of New Year’s Eves in the past. 

Again, what do I care about the Super Bowl? Why am I crying about him missing get-togethers that I never went to? That he and my mom usually left by halftime? I know the answers are right there and not very deep. Because he’s gone and it’s really hard and sad. 

(My mom told me yesterday that Chris and Jennifer—bless them!—were going to come by the house, bring some food, and watch the first half there.)

Paranormal Activity

7 February 2026: Had a great time this afternoon with Tim, Kevin, Hannah, and Cory. After a really delicious lunch in Rockville, we headed to DC to see Paranormal Activity, a new, original play that doesn't have much in common with the film except its focus on a haunted couple and their home. I think this is the first "horror" play I've ever seen (though scenes in certain plays have certainly scared me in the past). Pretty cool experience!

Still in the midst of these very busy (and very cold!) days, it felt great to just do something fun and different with four of my favorite people. 

"Uncle Christopher's"

6 February 2026: What a blast I had today teaching Alice Cary's "Uncle Christopher's" for the first time. This story has stuck with me since I first read it for my entry on Cary in my book and I was eager to see what students would think. I knew it would be a good discussion when students were ready to tell me as I came in the room how mad it made them. Score!

WFH day...

5 February 2026: A long WFH day is exactly what I needed. I made good progress on a bunch of fronts which is letting me breath easier as I move through these busy weeks. 

The extra reward: a new episode of The Pitt. 

Talking sports with boys...

4 February 2026: Long-ass day--like, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. with essentially only an hour of alone time to get some work done. But? A pretty good day overall.

I just want to focus on/write about 90 minutes of it here: the time I spent in conferences with three ENGL 102 students. I had a blast talking with these three young men about their essays--one on Nikola Jokic, one on Mark Cuban and the Mavericks, and one on VJ Edgecomb. 

I didn't know much about the first and third topics, but I learned a lot (and am now obsessed with Jokic). It's just fun to listen to students talk about their passions and help them write about them.

Some quick math shows me that I spent 270 minutes today teaching and conferences--out of 720 minutes on campus. Those 270 minutes remind me of why it's all worth it. 

Back to trivia...

3 February 2026: Back at trivia for the first time in three weeks (funeral two weeks ago; snow cancellation last week). As always, feels good to be back with those folks. Even sweeter, the team that is always so kind and generous gave me a card, balloon, and a box of chocolate to celebrate my award. 

I was feeling so overwhelmed today but half-way through the game, I realized all of that had dropped away. Even now that I am home and looking at my lists of things to do, I still feel better than I did earlier. 

So yeah--this continues to be a great Tuesday night gig. 

Another W

2 Feburary 2026: Long Monday, but happy to end the public part of my day watching the women's basketball team score another win. They are still just 6-13, but that's better than last year--and you can see them coming together in cool ways. It's fun to watch. 

Loyalty Tournament

1 February 2026: Heading into a busy stretch of weeks--presidential candidates on campus (with five dinners I have to go to in the next ten days), lecturer candidates here, too, student conferences, etc. I can feel the tension creeping in because the work piles aren't getting smaller.

Even still, I am so glad I spent a few hours today helping out at the Flagship Trivia "Loyalty Tournament," where teams who play a lot but don't win a lot get their own special game. It was a lot of fun to be around these folks. They play because they have fun and they like being with each other. I didn't know most of the teams (I only know the ones who play at Rumsey and Bender's), but I felt so warmly towards all of them.

Score another win for one additional never-completed project: Project Balance.