baumgal6 2020 Fond Farewells, 2020 Newsletter

Saying Goodbye

This year, the English Department sadly says goodbye to Creative Writing faculty member Tiana Kahakawila. She has accepted a new position with the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. She and her husband welcomed a baby girl into their family in May!

We also bid farewell to two long-time Senior Instructors: Nicholas Margaritis has retired, and Christopher Patton will be moving on to new opportunities, beginning a Master’s Program in Museum Studies.

Also departing is our office manager Michelle Stach. Though Michelle was with just a short time, she was a bright star in our administrative staff, and she will be missed.

Jemma 2019 Newsletter, 2020 Fond Farewells

Margi Fox

Margi Fox has been teaching in the English Dept. since 2006, with a specialty in professional and technical writing. She will retire at the end of the 2018-19 school year. We caught up with Margi to ask her a few questions as she embarks on this next phase of life!
Portrait of MargiHow long did you teach at WWU? What brought you here?

I came to Western in 1974 and earned my undergraduate degree from Huxley in 1976. During my senior year, I took creative writing classes and realized I should have been an English major. In 1984, I returned to Western, caught up on English classes and went into the master’s program, where I discovered my love of teaching. I taught here for a few years after graduation, then moved on to professional writing–as a writer, editor, and teacher.

When a position came open in the professional and technical writing program in 2006, I came back to Western and the English Department. The past thirteen years here have been the most wonderful of my career.


What were some of your favorite moments from your career at WWU? 

There are so many favorites! Here are a few:

  • Interactions with students are at the top of my list. I’ve met so many engaged, kind, thoughtful, smart students who’ve inspired me.
  • Hiking field trips with students were terrific. We roamed the trails in the area together, discussing the effectiveness of trail signs, and a wide assortment of other topics. I only wish I could have done more of the field trips!
  • Having the opportunity to do a TEDx talk about wills in 2015 was a highlight.
  • I have also loved interactions with colleagues. I’ve never had a day on campus without a meaningful conversation. I’ve also appreciated how much faculty and staff in the English department care about students and find joy in the subject matter.

 

What is your secret “super power”?  Tell us something that others may not know about you. 

I was on the first women’s trail crew in the United States Forest Service in Idaho’s Selway-Bitteroot Wilderness. In 1973, I spent five months out on trail without ever returning to civilization. My superpower is that I’m happy living outdoors for long periods of time, comfortable with eating terrible food and being dirty, and able to pace myself when climbing high mountain passes. Most importantly, I’ve been able to immerse myself in what writer Sigurd Olson called “The Great Silence.” (These abilities apply to the final two questions.)


What stirs joy within you outside of your work?

I love being out hiking, whether it’s deep in the wilderness or in the nearby Chuckanut Mountains. I’m so grateful for all the public lands in our area and in the country.

 

What will be your next adventure? 

  • I hope this summer and fall to backpack as much as possible. Depending on the fire season, I plan to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington (or Oregon or California).
  • During the next year, I intend to try writing fiction, something I haven’t done for decades. I’d like to infuse my research and insights about wills into imaginary worlds.
  • Finally, I’ll explore where I can make a contribution. Right now, it’s a little like graduating from college as I try to figure out what to do next with my life.
Jemma 2019 Newsletter, 2020 Fond Farewells

Nancy J. Johnson

Nancy Johnson has been a professor in the English Dept. for 25 years, with specialties in English Education, and Children’s and Young Adult Literature. She retired at the end of Winter quarter 2019. We caught up with Nancy to ask her a few questions as she embarks on this next phase of life! (See also the “Gratitudes” page for information on a new Endowment set up in Nancy Johnson’s honor.)

How long did you teach at WWU? What brought you here?

In 1993 Seattle hosted the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Convention. Bill Smith approached me at the conclusion of a session I moderated suggesting I apply for an English Education opening at WWU. I didn’t know Bill at the time but was flattered that he sought me out and charmed by his kindness (which I appreciated even more as his colleague). But, the timing? It just wasn’t right. I had recently received tenure at Seattle Pacific University. I was getting married in a month. And we just bought a house. But … Bill persisted, contacting me one month later and flattering me with “you’d be perfect for this job and our students” praise. I applied, was hired, and started what became a 10-year commute from Seattle to WWU and a 25-year career. No regrets!

 

What were some of your favorite moments from your career at WWU?

More than moments, what will linger a long, long time are relationships. Students. Colleagues. Amazing educators, librarians, writers, and artists in the community. I’ve loved the everyday “work” of inviting, nudging, supporting, and sharing challenging experiences in the classroom, often ignited by responses to literature. I value the hours we worked side-by-side on big projects: creating WWU’s nationally recognized Children’s/Young Adult Literature Conference, collaborating to host a lively Poetry Camp (for grown ups!), and hosting renowned poet Naomi Shihab Nye’s Arbuthnot Lecture on WWU’s campus. None of that could have happened without dedicated relationships to shared dreams.

 

What is your secret “super power”?  Tell us something that others may not know about you.

I hope to live long enough to see my beloved Seattle Mariners return to the playoffs (will I jinx it all if I also hope for a World Series?). I aim to attend games in all 30 Major League ballparks (so far, I’ve visited 19). And, this summer I’ll return to Cooperstown to see Ed-gaaar inducted into the Hall of Fame. While not a super power (my batting average is well below the Mendoza Line), I do claim to be a super fan.

 

What stirs joy within you outside of your work?

In addition to family, my life is so much richer because I’ve left home. In terms of joy, this comes from: Unexpected, unplanned, sometimes eye-opening, often jaw-dropping moments when I travel. People stepping in to help when I’m lost or confused (usually due to language mismatch). The kindness, grace, rich laughter, and shared humanity I’ve discovered whenever I step outside the USA. Filling every page in my passport before it expires.

 

What will be your next adventure? 

Travel. Travel. And more travel. Isn’t there an adage, “So many places, so little time”? I want to take full advantage of this one life I have to life. This includes some exciting new ventures that will nourish my learner/teacher soul. I just started a multi-year consulting partnership with English/language arts teachers in the Lynden School District and, in the fall I’ll travel to the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany for a two-month fellowship. More immediately, I’m eager for lazy, sunny days reading on my deck until the sun sets, long walks on Bellingham’s amazing trail system, time with family and friends, and — did I mention? — travel.

coolm 2018 Newsletter, 2020 Fond Farewells

Kathleen Lundeen

Kathleen Lundeen joined Western’s English Department in the fall of 1991 as a specialist in British Romantic literature. Along with Romantic literature, she has taught courses in physics and literature, intermedia art, epic poetry, the nineteenth-century novel, biblical literature, and literary and cultural theory. Throughout her distinguished teaching career, students and colleagues have expressed great admiration for her ability to explain complex theoretical concepts, the clarity of her rigorous writing assignments and feedback on student writing, finely tuned lectures, respect for students, attention to the visual elements of texts, and expert facilitation of class discussions.

In addition to publishing on a range of Romantic authors and subjects, she has written articles and book chapters on literature and science, intermedia art, film, and biblical literature. In her book Knight of the Living Dead: William Blake and the Problem of Ontology, she shows how Blake creates an epistemological alternative to empiricism and rationalism in his poetry and art. After completing her long-range study of Blake, she began pursuing the engagement between Romantic texts and the discoveries of late eighteenth and early nineteenth astronomers, notably William Herschel. Her work in this area has appeared in several journals and was solicited for a book on literature and science.

Kathleen also served as an elected officer of PAMLA (Pacific and Ancient Modern Language Association), which culminated in her service as president of PAMLA in 2007. For several years she served on the editorial committee of Pacific Coast Philology, and she chaired the site committee when Western hosted PAMLA’s annual conference in 2002 and 2007. Her service outside of Western has included the mentoring of post-doctoral instructors through the Keats-Shelley Association mentoring program and participation as a grant referee of AAUW (American Association of University Women).

Kathleen’s participation in the English Department includes a term as department chair and several terms as associate chair, during which she attended to numerous personnel issues in a professional and compassionate manner, saw several faculty members successfully through the tenure and promotion process, initiated significant reforms in department procedures, developed a new and improved advising system, and developed a collaborative leadership style. We will miss her warm and compassionate presence.