Alumni Updates
We post alumni notes as we receive them. Use our handy form to send us your news!
For updates received in previous years, check out the categories of class years in the left menu.
Christina Bullock '10- BA in English- Christina Bullock '10, recently authored the article "Driving New Narratives: Women Leader Identities in the Automotive Industry," published in the Gender in Management: An International Journal. Bullock's research examined the identity-related work experiences of women in leadership in the US automotive industry. Drawing upon the communication theory of identity’s four identity frames, the study analyzed women’s narratives to better understand their self-concepts, work relationships and activities within larger corporate automotive contexts. Christina Bullock is currently a doctoral candidate at Regent University's School of Communication & the Arts in Virginia Beach, Va. (05/2019)
Sylvia Foley '76- B.A. in English Literature- Happy to report some prose poem acceptances. "The Fireman" is currently online at Typishly (https://typishly.com/2019/04/10/the-fireman/), and "The Dead Woman's Daughter" is forthcoming in the next issue of the Cincinnati Review (https://www.cincinnatireview.com/issue/16-1/). (04/2019)
Andrew Zawacki '90- BA in English- Andrew Zawacki's latest poetry volume, UNSUN : f/11, is due this fall from Coach House Books in Toronto, while his latest book in France, Sonnetssonnants, translated by Anne Portugal, will appear this year from joca seria. His translation from the French of Sébastien Smirou, See About: Bestiary, came out last year from La Presse / Fence Books. Zawacki spent 2016-17 in France on a Howard Foundation poetry fellowship. (02/2019)
Jeffrey Scott '90- BA in English- My third novel, This Side of Night, will be published by GP Putnam's Sons (Penguin Random House), in July 2019. My fourth, Lost River, is scheduled for 2020. (02/2019)
Matthew Plassman '06- BA in English- I don't think I've sent this already, but apologies if I have. This past October I made my first short story sale. "I Am Harry Meers" was published on the website The New Accelerator, which releases a new sci-fi short every Friday. Now, I'm currently chipping away at a novel, among other projects, in my spare time. (01/2019)
William Huberdeau '09- BA in English- No longer with Norfolk Public Schools, I am teaching intro composition at Norfolk State University (with a little karaoking DJing and stagehand work at the NorVa as well on the side). Seeking my Ph.D. for a full-time tenure track position within the world of higher ed. Published some photography with Burningwood Literary Journal and Fusion Arts and have recently visited Lamu Island in Kenya for the Summer Literary Seminars writing program. New Honorary Squirrel albums (my band) due on on Spotify within the next a few months. (01/2019)
Miriam Hodgkins '11- BA in English and German- I am in the midst of my sixth season of ski instructing at Breckenridge, Colorado. At the end of April I am relocating to the mountainous country of Lesotho. I served in the Peace Corps six years ago and I am returning to the same rural village to start a small computer lab up for the high school. (01/2019)
Cory Hitt '11- BA in English- In 2018 I received my doctorate from the University of St Andrews in Medieval History (very much inspired by the work of Prof Monica B. Potkay), during which I was a Marie Curie Fellow on the EU-funded ITN "Power and Institutions in Medieval Islam and Christendom". My doctoral thesis focused on the rhetoric of norm transmission in Old French literature and law. I've since been hired as a fellow on the ERC project "Civil Law, Common Law, Customary Law" at the University of St Andrews and am currently researching the rhetoric of Old French customary law, focusing on freedom and un-freedom. (01/2019)
Ashley Lear '98- BA in English- I'm happy to announce the publication of my first book from UP of Florida - The Remarkable Kinship of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and Ellen Glasgow. I first studied Glasgow in an English class at W&M and have been fascinated with her life and literature since that time. I am currently a Professor of Humanities at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. (01/2019)
David Sturdevant '91- BA in English- After graduation from W&M in 1991 with a BA in English, David continued his education at the University of Louisville where he earned a MFA in Theatre Arts (Performance Track). He now teaches English and Drama at Middleburg Academy in Northern Virginia horse country and continues to perform with local theaters and improv groups. (01/2019)
Sara Rablin '99- BA in International Relations and English- Happily living in Richmond, VA with my husband Tommy Bowles, my almost 2 year old Nathalie and our furry children Kirby, Lulu, and Katie.
After many years consulting in Organizational Change Management, currently a Senior Director, Human Resources Business Partner at McKesson Medical-Surgical. (01/2019)
Lisa LaBanca Rogers '82- BA in English- My children's picture book, 16 WORDS: WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS AND THE RED WHEELBARROW, illustrated by Chuck Groenink, will be published in September, 2019 by Schwartz and Wade Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. A draft of this manuscript won the PEN-New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award. The book is about the inspiration for Williams' favorite, and most famous poem. (01/2019)
Margaret Carter '72- B.A. in English- Margaret L. Carter's humorous paranormal romance novella "Yokai Magic," inspired by Japanese folklore, was published by the Wild Rose Press in January 2019.
https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/2464_margaret-l-carter (01/2019)
Stephen Wing '68- A.B. in English- Hello, readers of Inside Tucker Hall,
First, congratulations to the English Department's faculty and students for launching this attractive and readable newsletter! I enjoyed Volume 1, Issue 1 and look forward to the next one. Here is a bit of news you may find interesting: Since college, military service, and graduate school, I have been practicing Landscape Architecture in Connecticut for four decades. So imagine my surprise when I received a letter from a professor of English at Amherst College, Christopher Grobe. He was searching for the author of a poem he'd found in Anne Sexton's archive at the University of Texas, "To Anne Sexton from the Second Row". It was a poem I'd sent her with a note after a reading she'd given at William & Mary in April, 1966. Grobe's essay, "From the Podium to the Second Row: The Vanishing Feel of an Anne Sexton Reading" is included in This Business of Words -- Reassessing Anne Sexton' edited by Amanda Golden (U. Press of Florida, 2016). Grobe includes and discusses a number of poems written with similar motivation by people from all over, including another W&M student, Thomas Roach. The poems are included with excerpts of our notes. Grobe considers her readings as performance art and laments the rarity of recordings of her readings (how technology has changed!). He cites the poems and echoes the idea of numerous critics that her readings were a strong enough flavor to make some uncomfortable with her work per se.
It is the only poem of mine ever published outside The William and Mary Review.
Best regards,
Stephen Wing, W&M, Class of 1968, Milford, Ct (01/2019)
Robin Gaiser '68- B.A. in English- Thanks for a great first edition of "Inside Tucker Hall." As an alum of 1968 I have to chuckle that any such publication for that era would be printed on paper and likely named "Inside the Wren," home of the English Department and our classes. I am an author of two published memoirs, "Musical Morphine: Transforming Pain One Note at a Time" (Pisgah Press: 2016), a Best American Book finalist in 2017, and "Open for Lunch" (Pisgah Press: 2108), as well as several published short stories, and a poem here and there. Last spring I was a a guest writer for the "Great Smokies Review" in their column "Writers at Home" and for the blog "Memoir Writers' Journey." I am currently challenging myself to write fiction and have four short stories ready for critique in my class at UNCA. I would love to share my story ---- how I finally knew I had to write and how I got from knowing that to writing and then actually being published. Great fun and a lot of hard work! And never too late-----my first book was released a month before my 70th birthday! I currently have a full schedule of book talks and readings, was featured on a TEDx Talk last spring which is on my website www.robingaiser.com along with more book information, radio interviews, my own blog, etc.
Let me know if I can participate in English Dept. doings, offerings beyond sending this update. (01/2019)
Philip Clark '02- BA in English- My second book, In the Empire of the Air: The Poems of Donald Britton (Nightboat Books), co-edited with the late Reginald Shepherd, was published in 2016. I was a summer 2018 MacDowell Fellow in nonfiction writing as I continue work on a biography of H. Lynn Womack, gay publishing and First Amendment pioneer. (10/2018)
Katherine Hughes '12- BA in English- I have recently joined the American Wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art as the Decorative Arts Trust Research Scholar, working on the exhibition, "Stories in Clay: Stoneware from Edgefield District, South Carolina," scheduled to open October 2020. This will be the first major exhibition in the American Wing of The Met to feature southern and African-American pottery. (10/2018)
Matthew Plassman '06- BA in English- Your Homecoming email's timing proved fortuitous. I saw that message and then a few emails later discovered I had made my first short story sale. The New Accelerator, an online sci-fi anthology, found my piece intriguing enough to pay me a nominal fee to hold it as a possibility for publication. No guarantee it'll make the final cut at this point, but it's still an exciting development for me. (10/2018)
Leonidas Lagrimas '01- BA in English (Honors) and Music- In Fall 2018, I accepted a new position as Assistant Professor of Piano at the State University of New York (SUNY)-Fredonia. Prior that that, I completed a Ph.D. in Music Education/Piano Pedagogy at Florida State University. The decision to double major in Music and English during my undergrad years at William and Mary turned out be the best thing for my academic/professional career! The skills I gained from my English degree in research, writing, communicating, presenting, and critical thought/analysis all helped make my graduate work (and the job application process!) so much smoother. (10/2018)
Godfrey Simmons '88- BA in English- I'm appearing in an Off-Broadway show in NYC called The Winning Side with Epic Theatre Ensemble. I'm also Senior Lecturer in Cornell's Department of Performance and Media Arts, and Artistic Director of Civic Ensemble, a regional theatre in Ithaca NY. (10/2018)
Marna Ashburn '85- BA in English- I'm excited to announce the publication of my book, "Marriage During Deployment: A Memoir of a Military Marriage," published by Rowman and Littlefield, 2017. (10/2018)
James Fox '72- B.A. in English- I teach English Support at Canton McKinley High School, in Canton, Ohio. Working with "at-risk," students proves to be a challenge! (10/2018)
Maggie Kneip '77- B.A. in English (Minor Dance and Theatre)- At the dawn of 2016 I self-published a memoir, Now Everyone Will Know, about my young husband's diagnosis and death to AIDS in 1991, eight months after our second child was born. Mercifully, we, his young family, were spared the virus, but fear of stigma forced me to keep the truth of what happened to him, (along with any mention of him), in lockdown for 25 years. In that time, my kids grew up. The initials LGBTQIA surfaced. Will and Grace appeared on TV. Brokeback Mountain was in movie houses, and Angels in America in theaters. Drugs were developed that could keep people with AIDS alive. Once I managed to screw up my courage, it felt like the right time to tell this story. At first, my book was repped by a well known literary agency, only to be rejected by a host of young women editors citing it as "dated," and me, as "too angry." (Too bad they didn't have crystal balls...talk about angry women finally finding their voices – we're everywhere!) Last March, Now Everyone Will Know was optioned for film. (10/2018)
Victoria Williams Giraud '64- B.A. in English- Although I've written 7 books available on Amazon, my English talents have focused on editing books in all genres. Over the years I've probably edited at least 150 books. I discovered I enjoy the editing as much as personal writing. My authors have come from all over the world--South Africa, England, Australia, Nepal and Hong Kong, for instance. An upcoming edit will be for a Nepalese author who is writing about the Gurkhas, young Asians who fought for the British. I've already edited 12 books for Tim Gurung. He's fairly adept in English and several other languages. It's been fascinating learning about other cultures, especially with him. I credit my skill and knowledge to the English department at William and Mary, notably Dr. Donald Ball. I also have to mention the Flat Hat, which I wrote for all of my years at W&M. I came west to LA in the late 60s and used my English and journalism talents for interviews and stories for many newspapers and magazines. I remain a fan of the English department and the excellent education I received. (10/2018)
Martha Wessells Steger '66- A.B. English (Honors)- One of the last writers to interview Tom Wolfe before his death in April, I sold the cover story to Fine Books & Collections Magazine: https://www.finebooksmagazine.com/fine_books_blog/2018/05/in-memoriam-tom-wolfe.phtml (10/2018)
Donald Harreis '57- A.B. English - Further study U of Iowa, Claremont Graduate School, Graduate Theological Union (Berkley), MDiv.After 27 years as a Navy and Coast Guard chaplain, Chaplain out of Bruton, now retired. 3 sons are W&M grad, also two daughters in law. Wife Ruth W&M Music librarian for 15 years. (10/2018)
Macs Smith' 11- BA in English and French- This June I will receive my PhD in French from Princeton University. In the fall I will be moving to the UK to take up the position of Hamilton Junior Research Fellow in French at the Queen's College in the University of Oxford. (03/2018)
Cass Morris '07- BA in English- Cass Morris is proud to announce the publication of her debut novel, FROM UNSEEN FIRE, an epic fantasy released April 17th from DAW Books. In a starred review, ALA Booklist praised FROM UNSEEN FIRE as a spellbinding tale of political machinations, comparable to I, CLAUDIUS and GAME OF THRONES. This is the first book in a three-book deal. (04/2018)
Scott Bolin '06- B.A. in English- Tethis, a startup I founded in 2012 just raised $17.6 million to bring a technology to market which makes diapers more sustainable. (04/2018)
Heidi Pennington '05- B.A. in English and Hispanic Studies- I am delighted to announce that my first book has been published (April 2018) by the University of Missouri Press. in *Creating Identity in the Victorian Fictional Autobiography*, I analyze how famous fictional autobiographies such as Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre and Charles Dickens. David Copperfield can lead readers to radically rethink the nature of personal identity. Indeed, the literary subgenre of the fictional autobiography illustrates how identity both in and beyond the text comes to exist through fundamentally fictional processes. More information on the book is available here, at the University of Missouri Press website: https://upress.missouri.edu/9780826221575/creating-identity-in-the-victorian-fictional-autobiography/ (04/2018)
Greg Huteson '90- M.A. in English Literature- After graduating from William and Mary, I taught English in Taiwan for three years. My wife, Bonnie, and I then joined Wycliffe Bible Translators, a well-known evangelical missions agency, and SIL International. After more graduate study for both of us--I received an M.A. in linguistics from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1997, we worked in Taiwan and elsewhere in East Asia for sixteen years, mostly in administrative positions. In 2016, we joined OMF International, another evangelical missions agency. Since late 2017, we have worked with OMF in Taiwan, supervising and supporting new missionaries. I've published articles on sociolinguistic research and missiology, and a handful of my poems have appeared in various literary journals. (04/2018)
William Shipman '98- BA in English- It's been a few years, but not sure if I shared this information with you. I work as the research communications lead for NC State University. In 2015 I published the "Handbook for Science Public Information Officers" with the University of Chicago Press: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/H/bo18768107.html And in 2016, I contributed a chapter to "Science Blogging: The Essential Guide" (Yale University Press) - https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300197556/science-blogging I came to NC State in 2008, after 10 years as a reporter in the DC area. I use the writing and critical thinking skills I learned at W&M every single day. Go Tribe! (04/2018)
Susan Young '88- BA in English- Happy to report that I continue to write, edit, and take photos in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Somehow I have managed to log 29 years of employment at Harvard, where I now work part time. I am grateful to William & Mary for helping me get to the Radcliffe Publishing Course some 30 years ago, the first step in my Harvard life. (04/2018)
Anne Marie Pace Belair '87- BA in English- Since my last update five years ago, I continue to work as a picture book author, writing teacher, and school speaker. I now have ten books published or soon-to-be published, including two Scholastic Reading Club original paperbacks, PIGLOO (Henry Holt, 2016), GROUNDHUG DAY (Disney-Hyperion, 2017), BUSY-EYED DAY (Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster, 2018), and the four published and upcoming books of the VAMPIRINA BALLERINA series (illustrated by LeUyen Pham, published by Disney-Hyperion), which has been developed into the Emmy-nominated Disney Junior animated series, VAMPIRINA. And finally in spring of 2019, my first "truck book" SUNNY'S TOW TRUCK SAVES THE DAY, will be out from Abrams Appleseeds. (If you have young children, you know there can never be enough truck books!) With my youngest child heading to W&M this fall, I anticipate many happy hours becoming reacquainted with the Sunken Garden, the Cheese Shop, and old friends. (04/2018)
Elizabeth Bobst '85- BA in English- A book I've co-authored has been published and is available through Harvard Education Press. Leading Personalized and Digital Learning: A Framework for Implementing School Change provides school leaders with eight leadership essentials that must be addressed during a school's effective transition to more student-centered learning.
http://hepg.org/hep-home/books/leading-personalized-and-digital-learning (04/2018)
Martha Spong '82- BA in English and History- I am the co-author of a book published this spring, “Denial is My Spiritual Practice (and Other Failures of Faith). https://www.churchpublishing.org/denialismyspiritualpractice (04/2018)
Marna Ashburn '85- BA in English- Hello! I wanted to share the good news that my book was recently released by Rowman & Littlefield Publishing. The title is MARRIAGE DURING DEPLOYMENT: A Memoir of a Military Marriage. It's available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. Also, you can see my other books and check out my blog (Chronicles of Marna) at my website, www.HouseholdBaggage.com. (04/2018)
Jean Kreiling '76- A.B. in English- My second collection of poetry was published in March 2018: Arts & Letters & Love (Kelsay Books) offers poems that respond to paintings, music, and books. Both this book and my first collection, The Truth in Dissonance (2014), reflect an interdisciplinary interest in music and literature that began at William & Mary; I am currently a Professor of Music at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. Both books are available on amazon.com. (04/2018)
Glenn Bowman '73- BA in English- Glenn Bowman has retired from the University of Kent in Canterbury, UK as Emeritus Professor of Socio-Historical Anthropology. Please note my current status is Emeritus Professor in Socio-Historical Anthropology at University of Kent Canterbury. (04/2018)
Alice Carlton '69- AB in English- Retired after 40 years in private practice as a clinical social worker, I now have time to pursue my love of writing. I am on the second revision of my first novel. (4/2018)
Martha Steger Wessells '66- A.B. Honors, English- Received second place, in the Arts & Entertainment category of the National Federation of Press Women's 2017 communications contest, for articles on Highclere Castle/Downton Abbey's library (published in Fine Books & Collections Magazine) and the 50th anniversary of the TV program, American Bandstand (published in Boomer Magazine). An article/interview with author Tom Wolfe is in the April issue of Virginia Business Magazine by Martha Wessells Steger ('66). Her last interview for the magazine was with President Reveley of Longwood University before the vice-presidential debate in the 2016 election. (04/2018)
Linda Felcone Hull '68- BA, MA in English- Hoping to at least set foot on campus next weekend at reunion time. I'm in Richmond a lot because my mother is still living (alone) at 97. Still write, but not for money at the moment. Only for pleasure. I'm back and forth from Richmond to New Jersey like a yo-yo. Fortunately I listen to books on tape while driving, so it's a pleasure. If I do make it to W&M for the reunion I hope to run into some of my former classmates and teachers. (10/2017)
Frances Aylor Jones '71- BA in English- After retiring from a career in financial investing, I am pursuing my love of writing. My first financial thriller, Money Grab, was published in May 2017. Financial advisor Robbie Bradford has just landed a $20 million account that puts her on the fast track to partnership at her wealth management firm. Then a family tragedy shatters her world. She returns to work to find that her colleague Vivian has stolen the account and the partnership. When Vivian is murdered, Robbie becomes the primary suspect. Can Robbie find the killer before she becomes the next victim of a malicious money grab? Money Grab is a story of greed and betrayal, of love and redemption, and of resilience even in the face of catastrophic loss. The ebook is available on Amazon. The paperback can be ordered from Amazon or your favorite bookstore. Money Grab is the first in a series featuring financial advisor Robbie Bradford. The second novel is planned for 2018. (10/2017)
David Shields '73- A.B. in English- Just published from the University of Chicago Press: The Culinarians--Lives and Careers from the First Age of American Fine Dining. This is the first collection of historical American chefs biographies--175 in all, from the first restaurant in 1794 to Prohibition. This is the third book I've published with the Press since 2013. The first, STILL American Silent Motion Picture Photography won the Browne award as the best single work in American Popular Culture published in 2013. The second, Southern Provisions, the Creation and Revival of a Cuisine (2015) earned the Southern Foodways Alliance "Keeper of the Flame" award in 2016. It chronicled the work that the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation has done since 2005, finding and restoring to cultivation southern landrace grains and heirloom vegetables--the ingredients that help fuel the southern food revival of the past decade. David S Shields, Carolina Distinguished Professor at the University of South Carolina and Chair, Carolina Gold Rice Foundation. (10/2017)
Sylvia Foley ’76- B.A. English, My short story "o's story" appeared in Hypertext Magazine: https://www.hypertextmag.com/os-story/. The story was also a 2015 Calvino Prize Honorable Mention. My poem "Hinge" is forthcoming in the winter issue of The Literary Review. (10/2017)
Marliss Melton '88- BA and MA in English Literature- A renowned author of romantic suspense, Marliss Melton has recently released her 17th full-length novel, HOT TARGET, book 4 of her Echo Platoon series. Marliss writes of the adventures of U.S. Navy SEALs and of their romantic commitment to women strong enough to love them. She'll be signing copies of her books at Barnes & Noble, Duke of Gloucester Street on Sunday, Oct 22nd from 12 to 4 PM. Please drop by! (10/2017)
John Barrett Warner '84- B.A. in English- My collection of poems, "Why Is It So Hard to Kill You?" was published last year by Somondoco Press, which is led by Hope Maxwell (B. A. English, 1983), and the book was printed by John Snyder (1982). It was great to reconnect with these Tucker Hall pals from so many years ago and to feel a sense of togetherness in such a lonely passion as writing.(10/2017)
Alex Kyrios '09- B.A. in English- Alex is working at the Library of Congress as an editor of the Dewey Decimal Classification, responsible for maintaining the world's most widely used library classification system. (10/2017)
Matthew Plassman '06- B.A. English- I continue to work as an assistant to two of the writers/executive producers of the television show "Modern Family." As they've tried to create their own shows, my bosses have allowed me to participate in their development process. At the same time, I've decided to refocus my own writing on prose rather than scripts. I had one short story garner an Honorable Mention in the Writers of the Future contest for the 1st quarter of 2016 (a sci-fi competition). While I send that story around in search of publication opportunities, I have written a couple drafts of a novella and have started what is turning out to be a second novella. (3/2017)
Jeffrey Todd Scott '90- BA in English- Although I've spent the last twenty years working around the world as a federal agent, my first novel - The Far Empty - was published in 2016 by Penguin Random House/G.P Putnam's Sons. The sequel, High White Sun, will be out March 2018, followed by two more Putnam books in 2019 and 2020. (09/2017)
Kenneth Woo '96- B.A. English- Kenneth Woo '96 was appointed Assistant Professor of Church History at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in July 2016, after completing his Doctorate in Theology at Duke University in 2015. He is currently working on a book on theological responses to religious dissimulation in early modern Europe. (1/2017)
Elaine Seeley Corriero '87- B.A. English- My path has been circuitous since my days at W&M. After getting my MFA in Creative Writing at Emerson College, I married and moved to Cincinnati. Here I have raised two beautiful daughters (one is a writer as well, living in LA now, and the other is a student at Savannah College of Art and Design) and become involved with our local High School Theatre. My time as Editor of the W&M Review has come in handy as I edit their Playbill for each show. I also write promotional reviews for the local newspapers, among many other tasks. They have produced two plays of mine, "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" (adapted from the book) and "A Reunion to Die For." I am currently working on a Sherlock Holmes play, tentatively entitled "The Adventure of the Veiled Lady," where Sherlock is actually a woman.
You can see some of my work through their website: www.AndersonTheatre.com (3/2017)
Anne Marie Pace Belair '87- B.A. English- I continue my career writing for children. I'm the author of eight published and upcoming picture books, including the VAMPIRINA BALLERINA series, which is being developed as a Disney Junior animated television series. It premieres this fall (2017). Other books coming in the next year include GROUNDHUG DAY (Disney-Hyperion) and BUSY-EYED DAY (Simon & Schuster/Beach Lane). All of my books benefit from my studies with Dr. Wenska, who taught me that sentence structure can carry meaning just as much as words particularly important when you are trying to write a complete, well-developed story in 500 words. (3/2017)
Zoe Speas '12- BA in English and Theatre- I've been working as a professional actor since I graduated early from the College of William and Mary in the winter of 2011. I moved to New York City, where I maintain a residence, but I hop around the country performing at different theatres primarily in the realm of Shakespeare and Classical Texts, which was a huge interest of mine as an undergraduate English major at W&M. I've recently started work in Sarasota, FL at the Florida Studio Theatre as an upright bassist/vocalist for a musical review of Bobby Darin's work. This is a particularly challenging and unique experience for me, as my first foray into the world of musical theatre. While my heart will always be with the Bard, I am absolutely loving the style of performance and playing this difficult but gutsy instrument. As a double-major, I was grateful to the W&M Theatre Department for my training in performance and voice, but academically I feel so strongly attached to the English Department as a creative writer and lover of literary analysis. I had so many incredible professors and mentors who encouraged me to think outside the box of how I read and absorb literature. I particularly owe a huge debt to Melanie Dawson, who was instrumental in opening my mind to genres of writing and philosophy that I had believed I couldn't successfully study because I disagreed with the perspective. How wrong I was. And how important that lesson has been as I approach each new role I undertake as an actor, and each new person I meet in my life. Thank you to the W&M English Department! (10/2017)
Becky Koenig '12- BA in English and History- Becky Koenig '12 recently started a new job as a reporter at U.S. News & World Report, covering careers, the workplace, and employment data. (10/2017)
Rory Sullivan '14- BA in English- Having received my Masters from the University of Virginia in the spring, I am now starting a Doctoral program in English at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, specializing in medieval literature. (08/2017)
Jennifer MacLure '10- B.A. English- This spring, I am completing my PhD in English at University of Wisconsin, Madison and have accepted a position as an Assistant Professor of English at Kent State University, specializing in Nineteenth-Century British Literature and beginning in Fall 2017. (4/2017)
Rachel Watson '14- B.A. Engish- Rachel is a Communications Specialist at the software development company AvePoint, based in their Richmond, VA office. (4/2017)
Sylvia Foley ’76- B.A. English, is a writer and an editor based in Brooklyn, NY. My first book, Life in the Air Ocean (Knopf, 1999), a collection of linked stories, was named one of the Best Books of 1999 by the Los Angeles Times. The title story won 1997 Frederick Exley Fiction Competition. My stories have appeared in many literary journals, including Story, Open City, LIT, Zoetrope, and The Antioch Review; and in the anthologies On the Rocks: The KGB Bar Fiction Anthology (St. Martin’s Press, 2002) and They’re At It Again: Stories from 20 Years of Open City (Open City Books, 2011). My poetry has most recently appeared in Alaska Quarterly Review. A story is forthcoming in the fall issue of r.kv.r.y quarterly (http://rkvryquarterly.com/). I hold an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University and have received fellowships from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and Yaddo. Short story "In the Wing Museum" appeared in the Spring 2015 issue of the Antioch Review. This November I'll be in residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, working on a novel (I was also a fellow in 2013 and 2014). (9/2015)
Melissa Daniels ’08- B.A. English, in Aug. 2014, I graduated with my M.A. in English from The Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College. I'm so thankful for the ways that the William and Mary English Department Faculty prepared me to pursue graduate school in English through challenging coursework and thought-provoking class discussions. (9/2014)
Alex Kyrios ’09- B.A. English, has been a cataloger at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., after two and a half years in a similar position at the University of Idaho. He's thrilled to be at an institution focused on excellence in the humanities, and appreciates the work English faculty at W&M did to set him on this path. (9/2014)
Erica Weitzman ’97- B.A. English, joined the Department of German at Northwestern University as an Assistant Professor in 2014, after having received her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from New York University in 2012. She has also held positions at the University of California, Berkeley and the Universitat Konstanz. Her first book, Irony's Antics: Walser, Kafka, Roth and the German Comic Tradition, is out with Northwestern University Press in 2014. (10/2014)
Rochelle Zuck ’01- B.A. English, was awarded tenure and promotion to Associate Professor of English at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where she teaches early American literature. (10/2014)
Barbara Drucker Smith ’64- B.A. English Language and Literature, You can find more details of my publications and relationship to William & Mary through the years in the book printed with all who graduated from William and Mary that came out within the past year. For the past year and a half I have spear headed the poetry group that meets on the second Thursday of the month at 6 P.M. at the Newport News Peninsula Fine Arts Center. Sofia Starnes was highlighted this month and The Nearest Poem Anthology that she edited during her tenure as Poet Laureate of Virginia. Next month Jay Paul of CNU will be featured. We always open it up for open reading. People can read their poem, a favorite poem, or pick out a piece of art and write an ekphrastic to the art work. I do many ekphrastic poems for the exhibitions at the Charles Taylor Art center as well. I was honored to read poetry at the memorial gathering at the Wren for David Jenkins who was my professor of creative writing at William & Mary. (10/2014)
Charlene Smith ’05- B.A. English and Theatre, in 2014, Charlene finished her graduate school education, receiving a Master of Letters and Master of Fine Arts in Shakespeare and Performance from Mary Baldwin College in partnership with the American Shakespeare Center. As part of her MFA work, Charlene was the head editor on a book of essays about the MFA year, "Rogue Shakespeare: Scholarship and Stagecraft in an Ensemble-Based MFA Company." Charlene is currently the Artistic Director of Brave Spirits Theatre in Washington, DC. (10/2014)
Will Huberdeau ’09- B.A. English, I'm a writer and a poet and I teach English and journalism at Granby High School in Norfolk, VA.. (11/2014)
Amanda Stanley King ’04- B.A. English Literature, After 3 exciting years living abroad in Australia, I've returned to the US. My husband (Andrew King, '05) and I are now living near Knoxville, Tennessee. He's working at Oak Ridge National Lab as a soil microbiologist and I've just started a job as Digital Communications Strategist for Pyxl, Inc. (12/2014)
Ana Munoz- Open Program: English language assistant in Spain. Becoming a language assistant for one academic year in a Spanish private school is a unique opportunity for recent graduates that want to gain international experience. They deliver 20 teaching hours a week of conversational activities to reduced groups of children, receive additional training and get paid for it. As well as developing their language skills, exploring a community and living a multicultural experience, participants will improve their CV, gain the satisfaction of firing young imaginations and get skills and experiences that are highly appreciated by recruiters.
For further information, please visit www.meddeas.com or write an email to candidates@meddeas.com. Att to Ana Munoz, Meddeas delegate in DC area. (1/2015)
Sarah Ross ’12- B.A. in English, As of summer 2015, completed first year of a PhD program in English at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, focusing on Victorian literature and culture. (5/2015)
Joseph Boselovic ’11- B.A. in English, is the co-editor of a new book, "Only in New Orleans: School Choice and Equity Post-Hurricane Katrina" (Sense Publishers). The book brings together multiple perspectives to assess the state of education reform in New Orleans, ten years after Hurricane Katrina. (6/2015)
Peter Baxter ’05- B.A. in English, I am in my second year of teaching English at American Collegiate Institute in Izmir, Turkey. (9/2015)
Kate Hughes ’12- B.A. in English, recently completed her Masters in American Fine & Decorative Art, Kate now works as the Curatorial Research Assistant at Historic Charleston Foundation in Charleston, SC. (9/2015)
Dale Meikle ’99- B.A. in English, Will graduate from Stanford University with a Master's Degree in Comparative Literature in June 2016. (9/2015)
Jane Vance ’80- B.A. in English and Art, weaves her work as Vice President of Help Save the Next Girl, her essays about sexual predators and criminal trials, her medical mission service in impoverished Zambia, and her decades of trekking with healers and farmers in the remote Nepal Himalayas into her teaching and her art. Her lineage painting of an accomplished Tibetan master resulted in the 2010 Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences awarded documentary, A Gift for the Village. Vance's exquisitely detailed narrative paintings are in private collections around the world. She is currently collaborating with Gil Harrington on a book about the murder and the legacy of Morgan Harrington, who was Vance's student at Virginia Tech in the Spring of 2009. She will present a TEDX talk on November 19 on the campus of Virginia Tech in the Moss Center. (9/2015)
Patrick Plaisance ’95- M.A. in English Literature, is a professor in the Department of Journalism & Media Communication at Colorado State University. His second book, 'Virtue in Media: The Moral Psychology of Excellence in News & Public Relations' (Routledge) was published last year. Plaisance also is Editor of the Journal of Media Ethics. (9/2015)
Michael Tubbs ’01- B.A. in English, was recently selected to lead the communications office at the NASA Shared Services Center at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. We provide administrative support in the areas of Financial Management, Procurement, Human Resources, and Information Technology to NASA's field Centers nation-wide. I have been with NASA since 2006. (9/2015)
Lea Brumfield ’07- B.A. in English and Environmental Studies, moved to Charlottesville and just started a Master's program in Urban and Environmental Planning at UVa, with expected graduation 2017. Currently working with UVa's Institute of Environmental Negotiation. (9/2015)
Lydia Dambekalns ’81- B.A. in English and Studio Art, has been a professor at the University of Wyoming for 20 years now. I love the Rocky Mountain west and am co-owner of a ranch where we raise horses and hay. I still have our family farm in the Shenandoah Valley, but don't get back to the 'Burg often. Many fond memories of classes in the Wren and the Brafferton. Although I'm actually teaching art education, not English, I use my writing skills for publishing articles. Miss lovely Williamsburg and hope you are all well. (9/2015)
Karen Hall ’78- B.A. in English, Simon & Schuster is publishing my novel, "Dark Debts," on May 15, 2016. It was originally published by Random House in 1996. I rewrote it for the same editor (now at S&S) and it is being published for its 20th anniversary. (9/2015)
DJ Wagner ’91- B.S. in English and Physics, is a physics professor at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, and currently serving as president of the national Society of Physics Students. I am active in the field of physics education research. I get to use skills developed as an English major when I parse student responses and develop curriculum addressing common student difficulties. (9/2015)
Eliza Urban ’13- B.A. in English, received her Master of Arts degree in English Literature from Louisiana State University in May 2015. Right now, I'm continuing in the doctoral program at LSU; my studies focus on 19th century theatre and the popular sciences (including mesmerism, animal magnetism, and many forms of spiritualism). (9/2015)
Sarah Hudgins Nicholls ’03- B.A. in English and M.A. Ed in Elementary Education, I am currently teaching 6th grade reading and language arts in Nashville, Tennessee and am the English department chair. My husband and I just had our first child, a boy, on May 1st. (9/2015)
Romana Huk ’81- Ph.D. in English and Government, just became Editor-in-Chief of one of our English Department's primary journals, Religion & Literature (I'm a professor at The University of Notre Dame.) (9/2015)
Andrew Zawacki ’94- B.A. in English, has recently been awarded a Howard Foundation poetry fellowship. In addition, his translation from the French of Sabastien Smirou, See About: Bestiary, is due from La Presse / Fence Books in fall '16. That project was supported by a National Endowment for the Arts Translation Fellowship and by a grant from the Centre National du Livre. (9/2015)
Stephanie Wardrop ’90- M.A. in English (British and American Literature), is currently teaching writing, literature, and cultural studies at Western New England University and writing YA novels. My Snark and Circumstance series, an "update" of Pride and Prejudice, is an Amazon bestseller. Someday I need to set one in Tucker Hall :) (9/2015)
Becky Koenig ’12- B.A. in English and History, is a reporter for The Chronicle of Philanthropy, the national news website and print magazine for nonprofit and foundation coverage. I also freelance for other publications, including The Washington Post and Sauce Magazine. (9/2015)
Rachel Watson ’14- B.A. in English, is in her second-year of Master of Arts in English studies on a Graduate Teaching Assistantship at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA. She will graduate in May 2016 and hopes to teach community college or university-level composition and literature courses. (10/2015)
Aaron Mosby ’05- B.A. in English and American Studies, co-wrote and served as assistant director for a dog & pony dc (http://www.dogandponydc.com/) theatrical production called, "Squares" (http://www.dogandponydc.com/squares) which enjoyed two runs in 2015, the first in May at the Cincinatti Fringe Festival and the other in July at the DC Capital Fringe Festival.
"Squares" is one of dog & pony dc's newest projects, exploring systems of privilege and coded language in the context of playground games. How do you square inequality with the American dream? And how can jump ropes, rubber balls, and sidewalk chalk help us find out? (10/2015)
Jay Busbee ’90- B.A. in English, My book EARNHARDT NATION, a biography of the Earnhardt family of NASCAR fame, will be published by HarperCollins in February 2016. Happy to provide more info/answer Qs from any and all students, faculty and alumni. Thanks! (10/2015)
John Bavoso ’07- B.A. in English and Government, John Bavoso's short play, Adam & Steve, will have its world premiere in Sydney, Australia, on January 23 and 24, 2016, as part of the Short+Sweet Sydney festival. (12/2015)
Martha Spong ’82- B.A. in English and History, is the editor of THERE’S A WOMAN IN THE PULPIT: Christian Clergywomen Share Their Hard Days, Holy Moments and the Healing Power of Humor (SkyLight Paths / July 2015 / $18.99). This book arose from an online community, where a few dozen women bloggers coalesced around our common work as pastors. Those dozens now reach into the thousands. From the beginning, we determined that, despite differences of theology, practice and life circumstances, our belief that God calls women to ordained ministry is the common ground on which we stand. Find us online at revgalblogpals.org. (4/2016)
Matthew Burlingam ’13- B.A. in English, is currently a Director in the K12 Public Education Practice at Hanover Research in Washington, D.C. My team provides quantitative and qualitative evaluations of district programs and investments, supports strategic planning efforts, and designs research agendas to investigate methods of improving student achievement and managing financial and human capital. Previously, I was a senior development associate at Hanover focused on global higher education in the UK, New Zealand, and Australia.
One of my clients (local to the Williamsburg area) is Newport News Public Schools! (4/2016)
Robin Russell Gaiser ’68- B.A. in English, My first book, “MUSICAL MORPHINE: Transforming Pain One Note at a Time," will be released June 1st, 2016, by Pisgah Press and Talking Book in print, ebook and audio formats. This work of creative non-fiction chronicles my work as a music practitioner offering live, acoustic vocal or instrumental music at the bedsides or chairsides of the critically and chronically ill, the elderly and dying in Hospices, hospitals, nursing homes, rehabs, and private homes.
More information, including purchase opportunities and reading/signing events, is available at www.robingaiser.com or on FaceBook at RobinRussellGaiser. (4/2016)
Gloria Oh ’11- B.A. in English, After living abroad in Budapest, Hungary for nearly three years working at Central European University, I moved back to the U.S. fall 2015 to finish training for my first marathon in Portland, Oregon. Shortly thereafter, I applied to jobs in earnest and landed one at The Atlantic magazine at the start of 2016, where I have been working as a producer for AtlanticLIVE. I'm looking forward to visiting Tucker Hall homecoming weekend 2016, my fifth year out! It's been quite a journey since graduating, but if I could do college all over again, I'd still major in English. Hands down. (4/2016)
Lisa LaBanca Rogers ’82- B.A. in English, has received the 2016 PEN - New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award for her picture book manuscript, MR. MARSHALL'S RED WHEELBARROW. The manuscript explores the relationship between poet William Carlos Williams and the owner of the wheelbarrow, an African American vegetable vendor who was a patient and friend. Lisa, a former newspaper reporter and editor, is an elementary school librarian. She is represented by Erzsi Deak of Hen&ink Literary Studio. (4/2016)
Jason James ’02- B.A. in English, This summer I will self-publish my first novel titled "ANOM: Awakening" through Amazon. For me, this is the realization of a life-long dream -- one that I pursued during my time at the College. "ANOM: Awakening" will be available on Amazon starting June 25, 2016. For more information, visit www.jasonrjames.com (4/2016)
Doug Casey ’89- B.A. in English, I hope all is well in the 'Burg! Just sending along a few updates and best wishes to you all. Beginning in December, I began serving as Connecticut's point person for educational technology. Our Commission oversees technology for schools, libraries, universities, and many towns. We provide broadband Internet service to more than 1 million students a day.
I look back fondly at my days on campus and, specifically, in Tucker Hall. What I tell my teenage son and daughter is that, no matter what you do, you need to be able to think critically, communicate clearly, and write professionally. So many people I have worked with over the years --- some in high places --- do not demonstrate these skills. I want to thank the College and English Department for not settling for okay or decent, demanding excellence out of William & Mary's students to equip them to serve and learn for a lifetime! (4/2016)
Christopher Adams ’08- B.A. in English, after completing an MA in Chinese literature at the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London), I moved to Shanghai on a Fulbright scholarship, to work on playwriting projects. I now live in London where I am the administrator of the London Rare Books School at the Institute of English Studies. My short plays have appeared in London, Birmingham, Dublin, and Shanghai, and my first full-length play will be produced in May 2016. (4/2016)
Julia Powers ’13- B.A. in English, since graduation in 2013, I've been freelance writing, interning at a church, and applying to graduate school. I'll be starting a Master's in Divinity at Duke University Divinity School in Fall 2016, with hopes of working in church ministry and continuing to write. Online publications can be accessed at www.juliapowersblog.com/publications. My first print publication (a personal essay) just came out April 2016 in Open Minds Quarterly, an Ontario-based magazine featuring "the poetry and literature of mental health recovery." This edition of the quarterly was their first-ever classroom edition with accompanying teacher guide, which I contributed to as well, aiming to foster conversation about mental health among young people. Thanks to the William & Mary English Department for helping me develop my writing voice and share it with others! (5/2016)
