This April brought me two new joys. I turned sixty, and I made my debut in Sinister Wisdom, the oldest lesbian literary journal in the U.S. me with Sinister Wisdom 132photo by Ben Thiel When I was in my thirties and forties, I never imagined that I’d be happy about turning sixty. In fact, I … Read more
How should we celebrate National Coming Out Day in 2023 in the red state of Iowa? This was a key question at the most recent meeting of Mount Mercy University’s Faculty and Staff GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance). Let’s start with logistics: we’re marking National Coming Out Day after fall break because the actual day, … Read more
This year marked my 29th first day of school as a professor at Mount Mercy, and my 37th as a teacher. If you count my student years, it was my 55th first day of school! That fresh fall start never gets old. Sure, there is sadness about leaving summer behind and having less time to … Read more
This Pride month, I want to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and its many allies at Mount Mercy, a small Catholic university in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I’ve taught English there my entire career. Twenty-seven years! As a Queer elder, I’ve enjoyed witnessing and contributing to the increased visibility of the LGBTQ+ community on campus. Queer Visibility … Read more
When I taught LGBTQ+ Literature this past fall, many students were so locked in on queer oppression and trauma that they overlooked queer hope and joy. Their negative focus was partly because of the pandemic and political climate, but also because of my text choices and teaching strategies. So I wrote a post about the … Read more
During the pandemic, students focused on queer trauma, but next time, I plan to ensure that they also explore queer joy.
How do you make the most an author’s campus visit? How do you lay the groundwork? I’ve pondered these questions since I started teaching at Mount Mercy 26 years ago, back when my friend and colleague, the poet and essayist Jim McKean, directed our Visiting Writers Series. The questions have become more important to me … Read more
We’re midway through summer: that bittersweet time when I need to shift (or at least think about shifting) the focus of my work-life from writing to teaching. This summer, the shift feels more disorienting, yet richer in possibility, because I’ve been on sabbatical. Thanks to Mount Mercy University, I’ve been away from the classroom since … Read more
Near the end of last semester, Mount Mercy English celebrated the tenth anniversary of a service-learning project informally known as Prison Book Club. At the end of this semester, we’ll celebrate the retirement of one of its founders, my dear friend and colleague Professor of English Carol Tyx. So it’s time to reflect on these […]
via Celebrating Prison Book Club and Professor Carol Tyx — Literary Mustangs