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--- speeches:2019_caritas_service_medal_acceptance_speech [2021/05/29 03:49] – maa
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 As a 40, I remember so, so many students, many of whom keep coming back every summer for the alumni functions making sure we never forget them. Of course I have a special place in my heart for my mentees, but I wanted to publicly thank them for all they have taught me, because every book contains research and information, but also working side by side with another writer, you learn and relearn the method every time.  My mentees are my colleagues and several former students are now my closest friends – and I bet your critique partners are yours. You need to hold on to those who can give you intellectual conversations and fellow writers who know what it’s like. I have had coffee talk with Heidi & Jason more often than I do members of my own family.  And just last week I joined a bbq at Rebecca Baker’s house – Becca was among the first or second graduating class, and now works fulltime in the Marketing department here at SHU, and she and her husband Bruce are now my best friends. And guess what? They’re your friends too and you should thank them, for Becca hosted the very first wine social in that same backyard, and while the location moves from bar to library lounge to (my personal favorite) “Beer on the Lawn,” the tradition of conviviality has continued ever since.\\
-I mention past students, and how alumni always return, but some are so devoted to this program that several of them teach for us now, from Presilla Oliveras to Heidi and Jason Miller, Will Hrner and Maria Snyder and Nalo Hopkinson to Shelly Adina/Bates...even Victoria Thomson, who has taught for us, like, forever, took the program and is technically an alum.  And while I’m mentioning adjuncts, I just have to say that I love you all, both those here today, and those who have gone before you.  You ARE our faculty, and I know the fulltime folks on stage would agree with me that there would be no program without you.  In fact, your presence as professionals in the industry working alongside us stuffy academics is precisely what distinguishes our program from all the other would-be MFAs that are out there, and I commend you for it. A round of applause please. \\
+I mention past students, and how alumni always return, but some are so devoted to this program that several of them teach for us now, from Priscilla Oliveras to Heidi and Jason Miller, Will Horner and Maria Snyder and Nalo Hopkinson to Shelly Adina...even Victoria Thomson, who has taught for us, like, forever, took the program and is technically an alum.  And while I’m mentioning adjuncts, I just have to say that I love you all, both those here today, and those who have gone before you.  You ARE our faculty, and I know the fulltime folks on stage would agree with me that there would be no program without you.  In fact, your presence as professionals in the industry working alongside us stuffy academics is precisely what distinguishes our program from all the other would-be MFAs that are out there, and I commend you for it. A round of applause please. \\
-I could go on and on, but I did want to add that this moment causes me to reflect not only on teaching in our graduate program, but teaching at Seton Hill in general. Have you heard the expression “Keep your day job?” That’s usually criticism suggesting that your artistic skills aren’t quite good enough to put food on the table. But let me tell you, I have the best day job in the world and I currently plan to keep it forever.  It’s a lot of work, and it IS true that I sacrifice a lot writing time to teach and serve this institution, for I have worked not only in this graduate program, but in the many roles I have played on this campus between residencies as an English professor – from teaching composition to 18 year olds fresh out of high school  to running courses in fiction writing, poetry, film and literary criticism -- for over twenty years. I’ve also edited the campus literary magazine for 2/3 of that time and was even the Chair of the Humanities for almost a third of it. It’s a lot of work to teach English full-time, but I love the back and forth I get from being a Generalist one day and a specialist the other.  All of this is grist for my creative mill, and keeps me engaged with readers, thinkers and just the world at large.  I hope you see how this can be true for you too, even outside of academia.  We should all recognize just how important a day job is for generating ideas and giving us a sense of audience.  But ever since I’ve been a professor, all along the way, people – usually my writer friends who aren’t in academia -- have persistently asked me:  “Why bother? You’re an award winning author and have a PhD from studying your genre. Surely you could make a living at this writing gig…Wouldn’t you rather just write?” \\
+I could go on and on, but I did want to add that this moment causes me to reflect not only on teaching in our graduate program, but teaching at Seton Hill in general. Have you heard the expression “Keep your day job?” That’s usually criticism suggesting that your artistic skills aren’t quite good enough to put food on the table. But let me tell you, I have the best day job in the world and I currently plan to keep it forever.  It’s a lot of work, and it IS true that I sacrifice a lot writing time to teach and serve this institution, for I have worked not only in this graduate program, but in the many roles I have played on this campus between residencies as an English professor – from teaching composition to 18 year olds fresh out of high school to running courses in fiction writing, poetry, film and literary criticism. I’ve also edited the campus literary magazine for 2/3 of that time and was even the Chair of the Humanities for almost a third of it. It’s a lot of work to teach English full-time, but I love the back and forth I get from being a Generalist one day and a specialist the other.  All of this is grist for my creative mill, and keeps me engaged with readers, thinkers and just the world at large.  I hope you see how this can be true for you too, even outside of academia.  We should all recognize just how important a day job is for generating ideas and giving us a sense of audience.  But ever since I’ve been a professor, all along the way, people – usually my writer friends who aren’t in academia -- have persistently asked me:  “Why bother? You’re an award winning author and have a PhD from studying your genre. Surely you could make a living at this writing gig…Wouldn’t you rather just write?” \\
 Sometimes that’s a question I have asked myself, but the answer always comes back to my realization when I was an undergraduate that it’s not just the writing that I love. It’s everything related to it. I love horror movies, from the Italian Giallo’s of Dario Argento to the creepy body films of David Cronenberg to the classic creatures of Universal Horror. And oh nothing warms the black chambers in the cockles of my heart than all the bloody, putrescent gore. I love it all.  I love articles about phobias and historical looks at urban legends and demonic myths and I even enjoy bad book reviews. I love reading a horror poem to a friend to listening to panel discussions about the latest trends in monster movies. I like creepy storytelling over campfires as much as the latest Stephen King novel.  I dig goth clothing and creepy doom metal. I love every single Halloween costume I see, especially the lame ones. But I am not just a fan. I am a professional fan and also a creator.  I love to dream alongside other dark dreamers, but also just love to imagine how all of these things could be even better, if I did them my way. It’s the creative life. \\