WELCOME TO THE SITE

You can access your course syllabi by clicking on the link to the left. The remaining links provide information regarding writing at the university level and my professional interests.

The restorative powers of encountering great art, even if one must wade through some not so great art, make reading worth the effort. We must willingly seek those works that most challenge those ideas that we comfortably "know" and strive to understand both what we believe and why. Good art should be confrontational. What's more, we should seek those artists who aggressively invade our private space, artists who muddy the waters. We are tempted to avoid those writers, painters, musicians, playwrights, filmmakers, and others who force us to open our minds to the imposition of great art, challenging ideas, and, often, uncomfortable self-reflexive examination. However, each time we let them impose upon our comfortable life, each time we let them invade our minds, we move closer to an ideological consciousness for our self and our community. For this alone we should accept the discomfort.

As university students, your ideas should be challenged, and you should seek out those with whom you can engage in dialogue. The photos on this page are from our family trip last summer. We camped our way from San Angelo to Maine. Travel matters: move outside your comfort zone both intellectually and physically. I hope your time at ASU allows you the opportunity to do so.

You can click here to return to the English Department home page .