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Katie Buchanan, M.A. Student
Katie, a 2002 graduate of Baylor University, is experiencing the joy of adapting to the more demanding level that is graduate school. In order to relieve the various stresses of papers, scholarly conferences, and in-depth readings, Katie spends much of her time at the Cameron Park Zoo where she is a docent. She gets to take care of the animals and teach little kids about them… she says, “It’s lots of fun!” She also enjoys reading (obviously), especially the likes of John Irving, Richard Russo, Sylvia Plath, Wally Lamb, Keith Lowe, Arthur Nersesian, any Holocaust literature she can find, and, embarrassingly, Jimmy Buffett. Katie is from Delray Beach, Florida, and Jimmy Buffett reminds her of home, although she is hesitant to admit her fondness for the more exciting Buffett brother due to his appeal to the fatter, middle-aged, Hawiian shirt wearing type. Katie also often trips down to 6th Street to catch the occasional punk or emo show. She enjoys many types of music and her favorite band is, currently, Mates of State; she says, “I love them!” Katie also thoroughly enjoys writing (another obvious one, huh) and has experienced the joy of both Dr. Garrett and Dr. Davis. She finds herself often writing of animals, humorous situations, and dreams, although her subjects are not limited to these.
Annie Davis, M.A. Student
Annie Davis completed her B.A. in English at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1999. She then spent two years teaching in elementary schools (as a first grade and Spanish teacher) and one year in Colorado as a raft guide and baker at the local coffee shop. She decided to return to graduate school in 2002 and is currently pursuing her M.A. Her literary interests include medieval literature and the relationship between art and text. She currently works as a tutor in the writing center. In her spare time, Annie enjoys mountaineering, skiing, rafting, reading, and running.
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Marcus Hensel , M.A. Student
Marcus, a 1998 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, is a third-year student in the Master's program at Baylor. He was loathe to leave Austin, as he is, for the most part, inert, but his experience for two years in the "real world" of gainful employment (it's a nice place to visit, but he wouldn't want to live there) has made him appreciate Baylor's academic world even more. Medieval literature is the area in which Marcus feels most at home, and he is especially interested in the treatment of the hero and classical influences in medieval texts. Do not, however, be surprised if he is curled up one evening with Beckett, Borges, or Vonnegut (their works, that is), for his interests are wide-ranging. Marcus divides his time fairly evenly between teaching freshmen the finer points of college composition, toiling mightily to write his thesis (Sisyphus comes to mind), listening to his amusing (and slightly schizophrenic) CD collection for hours at a stretch, and spending time with his amusing (and slightly schizophrenic) friends for hours at a stretch.
Donna Higginbotham, M.A. Student
Donna Higginbotham completed her B.A. in English at Baylor in May of 2002. Her main scholarly interests include Victorian Literature, Southern Literature, and Women’s Studies. She can be found in the Writing Center tutoring students most afternoons. She grew up in Pleasanton, TX (the birthplace of the Cowboy) – but went to high school in Harlingen (basically North Mexico). Living in Waco makes her the Yankee of her extended family. In her spare time, Donna loves to watch movies, read anything she can get her hands on, visit art museums, and listen to pretty much every kind of music there is – especially Weezer, Ani DiFranco, and Billie Holiday.
Monte
Holman , M.A. Student
Monte graduated with a B.A. in English from Baylor University
in August of 1999. For the next year, he studied the coffee bean,
primarily the arabica, discovering new and old ways of ingesting
its liquid product. He now works on earning an M.A. in English
from Baylor. Although unsure of his exact specialization, he does
wish to study poetry, particularly the Romantics, WWI British poetry,
Philip Larkin, Seamus Heaney, and the poets of the American Renaissance.
(He wishes to advise not to hold any of this as fact, lest he
becomes interested in another period altogether). During his so-called
free time, Monte involves himself heavily in the realm of music,
playing the guitar in two bands completely opposite in genre and
listening to a wide variety of music. He also enjoys bicycling
and the occasional racquetball game. He does not enjoy the taste of
yogurt, unless it is frozen, of course.
- Sabahat
Jahan, M.A. Student
Sabahat Jahan graduated from Angelo State University in the spring of 2001, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Psychology. After completing her Master of Arts program here at Baylor, Sabahat intends to return home to Bangladesh and work for a non-profit organization such as the World Food Program or the World Health Organization. She hopes to serve as an English to Bengali and Bengali to English interpreter to facilitate the work of the numerous groups of journalists and volunteer workers who come from all across the world to help with rural development and adult literacy programs operated by these organizations. Although Sabahat's native language is Bengali, she enjoys the study of English literature. She is particularly interested in British literature, with a focus on the Shakespearean tragedies (however, current preferences are
always subject to change). In her spare time, which has become exceedingly difficult to find, Sabahat fancies herself a poetess, and tries to keep her singing alive by practicing Bengali songs on the harmonium.
Justin T. Jones, M.A. Student
Justin graduated with his B.A. in English from Baylor University in the spring of 2001. He is desperately trying to finish his Master’s Degree in time for May commencement, so if he snubs you in the hall or acts really aloof or self-important, don’t take it personally. In any conversation, Justin will inevitably bring up at least one of the following four things: his hatred of postmodernism, Matthew Arnold, The Lord of the Rings motion picture trilogy, or The Powerpuff Girls. He has just finished teaching English 1302 for the fall, and the relief is so overwhelming that he sometimes just sits and stares wistfully at the wall. Justin’s major research interests include the mid-to-late Romantics and pretty much everything that happened or was reported to have happened (we weren’t there, after all) in the nineteenth century in England. Up until this point in his life, Justin has worked as a file jockey for the Financial Aid Office at Baylor University, a cashier-turned-music manager for Hastings Entertainment, a small claims adjuster and policy analyst for Farm Bureau Insurance, an administrator and director for a community college’s summer kids’ camp, and a roving freelance theater performer (for which he has never been paid). Justin’s theater credits include musicals, dramas, and hilarious rip-roaring comedies, but what he really wants to do is direct. After graduation, Justin hopes to go on to a career in publishing, perhaps even in the Big Apple itself. However, he will most likely not be a managing editor for a few years, so please do not send him all your manuscripts; nepotism is frowned upon in the publishing industry.
Jee Eun Kim, M.A. Student
Jee Eun received her B. A. from Yonsei University (Seoul, Korea) in 2001, majoring in English and Psychology. She spent a semester at Baylor as an exchange student, and three years later she returned as a graduate student. Being born, reared, and educated in big cities, she misses the vitality of city life and convenient public transportation, while she also appreciates the beautiful campus and friendly Texans.
She plans to concentrate on either Victorian novels or 20th century American novels. Her favorite theories are reader-response criticism and Bakhtin’s theories: she is fascinated by the way novels interact with people and society. She also is interested in religion and literature. As a Christian, she wishes to be like C. S. Lewis, who was both devotional and scholarly.
In her free time, she indulges herself in books, music, paintings, and writing about them. Traveling has always held great charm for her. She has traveled in Japan, China, ten countries in Europe, and, recently, Scotland. She thinks that those trips made her braver and broader. In Waco, although she frequently sees people jogging around, she loves to be at home, believing that doing graduate study keeps her in shape. As a gourmet, she enjoys eating, to be healthier and to be able to endure and prevail over the hard work.
Ginger Langford, M.A. Student
Ginger Langford began her graduate studies in August of 2002
after finishing her Bachelor of Arts in English the previous May.
She attended College of the Ozarks, a work-study college famous
for its fruitcakes and character forums, near Branson, Missouri,
a town famous for its country-western shows. Ginger currently
is tutoring in Baylor's writing center as well as deciding on
her area of specialization in the M.A. program. Her interests
include American literature, especially the change in relgion's influence
on literature from the colonists to the present. Ginger's favorite
novel is Melville's Moby Dick, though she also particularly enjoys
reading the short stories of Hawthorne and the drama of Eugene
O'Neill while eating a bowl of chocolate-chip cookie dough ice
cream. Although Ginger loves to play the piano and is always in
search of a good tennis match, she spends the majority of her
free time adjusting to life as a Texan, a place with a culture
and language all its own.
Eric C. Schaefer, M.A. Student
Eric Schaefer received a B.A. (Sociology) from the University of Illinois and a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary. Studies in Biblical literature were instrumental in giving him a love for the beauty and power of language and narrative. Eric’s primary interests are twentieth century modernism and postmodernism and their perspectives on loss and hope as determinative in times of personal crisis and societal failure. His favorite writers include Flannery O’ Connor, William Faulkner, Cormac McCarthy, T. S. Eliot, and Shakespeare. In addition to literature, Eric is passionate about the cinema. He occasionally writes movie reviews and aspires to write a screenplay. A great double feature for him is an edgy new independent or foreign release followed by a Hollywood classic. His favorite directors include Paul Thomas Anderson, Darren Aronofsky, Atom Egoyan, Quentin Tarantino, Orson Welles, and of course the master himself, Alfred Hitchcock, creator of the perfect movie, Rear Window. A lifelong sports fan, Eric likes to play tennis and run road races (5K/10K), and has one marathon under his belt. He passionately follows the ups and downs of his favorite teams in baseball (Rangers and Cardinals), football (Cowboys), and hockey (Stars). Devoid of musical talent, Eric may one day take piano lessons, but for now listens to classical music, REM, Natalie Merchant, U2, The Smiths, Husker Du, Bjork, and Sinatra when he’s not listening to NPR or talk radio. When it’s time to eat, Eric loves to try new restaurants (especially Thai and Italian), but his favorite place to eat is his mother’s kitchen in Memphis.
Stephen Schuler, M.A. Student
Steve is originally from the cornfields of northern Illinois where he grew up loving to read. He earned his BA in English Education from Grace College in Winona Lake, IN, and as part of his student teaching, he spent seven weeks teaching at a school in England. Steve attributes his desire not to teach high school to his experience with student teaching. Still, the desire to teach smolders in a back corner of his soul, where it may eventually start a nasty house fire. At that point, Steve hopes to have earned his doctorate and be on his way to teach at a university somewhere in the Midwest. Until such a time, Steve will continue reading all manner of good literature until he settles on an author or period that stirs his fancy strongly enough for him to devote an entire thesis to it. “All the time periods have so many interesting writers and works; it’s hard to choose a favorite,” he sighs wistfully. When his wife, Grace, can manage to tear him away from his books, Steve may enjoy hiking, cooking (especially breakfast, for he is a morning person), writing the odd short story, or talking philosophy with anyone who will listen. However, when working in the Writing Center, he tries to keep discussions on the topics of grammar and organization of thought. In his work there, he has learned the truth of the statement that “The devaluation of grammar correlates closely with a devaluation of the mind, truth, and thought” (J.P. Moreland). May good writing prevail!
Dustin
Stewart , M.A. Student
Dustin, a 2001 Baylor graduate (B.A., English), finds himself
darting down the stretch toward a Master of Arts degree. The prize
(the carrot?) after which he runs is—you guessed it—still more
time in graduate school. Dustin plans, that is, on swerving from
his all-too-linear path along that “good ol’ Baylor line” and veering
into a Ph.D. program in the year (years?) ahead. Hopefully, no
harmful wrecks will ensue; he’s promised to check his blind spot.
Perhaps Dustin’s eagerness for a brief, but hopefully not temporary,
respite from the environs of this part of Texas is a product of
his familiarity with the area: Dustin and his wife, the former
Leah Frazier (Baylor '98), both hail originally from Killeen,
Texas, a city located a mere 57.3 miles from B.U. Dustin and Leah,
the financial manager at Common Grounds (a coffee shop near campus),
were married in August of 2001 and live in a house in Waco with
Watson, their Shih-Tzu. Dustin has taken on the daunting task
of teaching two first-year composition classes this semester, and
his academic interests include late medieval and 19th- and 20th-century
literatures (blame the disparity on that pesky “breadth” requirement).
Also interested in the intersection of religion with literature,
and with culture more broadly construed, Dustin is writing his
thesis on Thomas Merton. His conversational interests also reveal
a religion-and-culture flair: he loves learning about and from
the Inklings (Lewis and Tolkien especially), he enjoys chatting
about the Christian sub-culture, and he occasionally proves himself
guilty of, say, reading some Augustinian theology into J.K. Rowling’s
characterization of Lord Voldemort. He also refuses to allow graduate
studies to sap him of his love for high school and college football.
And—the perils of teaching freshman comp.!—he apparently
maintains a penchant for writing about himself in the third person.
Kathy
Thomas, M.A. Student
Kathy graduated Phi Beta Kappa with her B.A. in Political Science
from Baylor in 1982. She returns to Baylor because of her lifelong
commitment to do everything she can to usher the humanities out
of museums and lecture halls and into the everyday lives of ordinary
people. She thinks of herself as a
literary activist. Because she believes art enriches everyone's
life, Kathy has a passion to ignite interest in literature in unexpected
places. For instance, she'd love to be a part of bringing the
humanities into corporate settings and public places, like Poet
Laureate Robert Pinsky did with the still
growing Favorite Poem Project (http://www.favoritepoem.org/).
Kathy is a member of the Association for the Study of Literature
and the Environment (http://www.asle.umn.edu/),
Poetry Society
of America, Academy of American Poets, National Aububon Society,
National Wildlife Federation, and The Nature Conservancy. She enthusiastically
follows popular culture and finds it an ideal way to tap into
one of the key typologies of our day. She hopes to use what she
knows about popular culture and workplace culture to advance innovative
programs to get everyone excited about literature. Her special
interests include the relationship between literature and nature,
literature and medicine, literature and technology. Her favorite
writers are Aldous Huxley, Walt Whitman, Thomas Carlyle, Franz
Kafka, D.H. Lawrence, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Scott Adams, and
many contemporary writers of short stories and poems.
Kacy Dowd Tillman, M.A. student
Kacy Dowd Tillman is a first-year M.A. student from Linden, Texas (Northeast Texas). She graduated Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude, with Honors from Baylor University in December of 2001 with a B.A. in English and a Latin emphasis. Her Honors thesis was entitled “Flannery O’Connor as a Product and Critic of a Southern Racial Milieu.” The thesis now makes for a very nice coaster and/or dust collector but still holds fond memories for Kacy.
Kacy’s emphasis is in American Literature, though her real love is poetry, and she is still trying to figure out O’Connor to this day. Kacy works in the Writing Center as a Graduate Assistant, trying to teach studentshowtoavoidfusedsentences. Sometimes, long hours in the WC starttoaffecther.
After the M.A. program, Kacy plans on pursuing her doctorate, and her goal is to become an English professor who can make even the most disinterested non-English major love literature.
In her spare time, Kacy likes to spend time with her husband, Andrew, who is a History teacher at A.J. Moore academy. Andrew and Kacy were married in April of 2002. She also enjoys cooking strange, new dishes from Cooking Light, including chipotle mashed sweet potatoes and pesto-flavored game hens. She’s proud to say that she’s never too old for J.K. Rowling’s books, and she loves to read Harry Potter and anything else not required for classes when she’s not researching until her eyes cross. She and Andrew are addicted to the TV shows “Ed” and “West Wing,” but when it’s time for reruns, she’s also very, very fond of naps, which are all too scarce in graduate school.
Kacy can’t wait to say: “Bonum certamen certavi, cursum consummavi, fidem servavi.” (I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.)
Karen Werner, M.A. Student
A former journalist and high school English teacher, Karen Werner is a master’s student with a minor in philosophy. Born in Peoria, Illinois, she grew up on a farm outside of Paris, Illinois. With a double major in Spanish and journalism, Karen graduated in 1980 from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College outside of Terre Haute, Indiana. For nine years she worked as a reporter at the Waco-Tribune Herald, covering police, general assignment, agriculture, business, suburban, and regional beats. Taking classes to obtain teaching certification in English, Karen first attended Baylor in 1990. For the next ten years, she taught journalism and English classes at Hillsboro ISD. Aiming to produce academic writing and to become qualified to teach college-level courses, Karen returned to Baylor University to earn a master’s degree in English. Her master’s thesis topic is Walker Percy’s critique of the contemporary self.