John Burke Since I have been in the process of developing ideas about the representation of the East in western literature, I determined it was time for me to take a close look at Edward Saïd’s Orientalism (1979; rpt. 2004). It’s a very famous book, I know, but (blush) I never succeeded in finding the time to give it a careful look. I’m very glad that I finally did. As I suspected, Saïd’s argument is an incisive deconstruction of western […]
Tag: Spring 2016 Newsletter
Interview with Andy Johnson
Andy Johnson is an instructor of English at The University of Alabama, specializing in African American Literature. How long have you been teaching? What made you want to teach your subject? I’ve been teaching for about six years now. When I tell people what I do for a living, they always say, “Oh, I hate writing! I’m terrible at it.” I had the same experience—my high school teachers told me my writing skills were weak at best. I went into […]
An Interview with Dr. Bonnie Whitener
Dr. Bonnie Whitener began teaching at The University of Alabama as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in 2003 and became an Instructor in fall 2010. Her academic interest is American Gothic Literature, and she is also known for the yoga classes she offers to faculty in the Department of English. The darkness of American Gothic Literature and the spirituality of yoga may seem like two contrasting interests. Yet, Dr. Whitener finds that both disciplines demand that the students face their fears […]
Interview with Emily Pitts Donahoe
“Hear my soul speak. Of the very instant that I saw you, Did my heart fly at your service” Shakespeare has a secret admirer and her name is Emily Pitts Donahoe, an M.A. student at The University of Alabama. From studying Shakespeare to participating in the Shakespearean Staged Reading Series at UA, Donahoe’s love for Shakespeare and the Renaissance is apparent. Donahoe has recently accepted an offer from the English program at Notre Dame, where she’ll be pursuing her PhD […]
Nichole Corbett: Fulbright Scholarship Recipient Talks Turkish Culture & Future Screenwriting Plans
Nicole Camille Corbett is a graduate of The University of Alabama and a recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship who is currently teaching English in Turkey. I sat down with Corbett on FaceTime and spoke with her about her experiences abroad and her future plans. You have recently earned your degree in English and Dramatic Writing. What sparked your interest in these fields and how do you hope to use your degree? I want to write comedy for television. I really […]
Alabama Student Takes on a Different Culture
Brianna Adams graduated from The University of Alabama in 2015 and is spending her second year in the Czech Republic where she lives in Otrokovice, a city in the Morava region of the country. In Otrokovice, she is undertaking the English Teaching Assistant Program, where she teaches students ranging from 11 to 19. Adams was offered this amazing opportunity through the Fulbright Scholarship, which she applied to after encouragement from a friend. She admits that choosing where to go was […]
Russell Willoughby: An Interview Overseas
Russell Willoughby is a University of Alabama Fulbright Scholarship recipient. The Fulbright Scholarship Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. At The University of Alabama, the Fulbright Scholarship Program is offered to students who wish to apply their skills and education through teaching opportunities abroad. Where are you currently studying and teaching? I am […]
Parker White: Rhodes Scholar Finalist
During his time as an undergraduate at The University of Alabama, Parker White participated in a broad, well-rounded education in the liberal arts, having been the chapter president of the International English Honors Society Sigma Tau Delta as well as a member of the Blount Undergraduate Initiative, studying English, Classics, and creative writing primarily. During his time at the University, he also co-founded DewPoint, a literary magazine that serves as an outlet for the creative writing of UA undergraduates and […]
Professor Whiting: Educator
Professor Fred Whiting, currently in his fifteenth year of teaching at UA, has witnessed The University of Alabama expand and change extensively during his time here (“We now have a Chick-Fil-A as well as an Arby’s,” he remarks). He also notes changes in faculty dress protocols over the years, citing a former colleague who regularly wore a muscle tee and flip-flops to class. Whiting’s contributions to the Department of English and academic environment generally, however, are somewhat less flippant. Whiting […]
Professor Luke Niiler: New Director of the First-Year Writing Program
The First-Year Writing Program works with freshman to help them develop their skills as college and academic writers. At the head of this program is Professor Luke Niiler. Professor Niiler has been at the University of Alabama since 2007. Along with being the Director of the First-Year Writing Program, he also teaches English Composition 101 and 102. I had the pleasure to sit down with Professor Niiler and learn more about who he is and what he has in store […]
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