Behind the Read

In the episode, my co-host, Addie, and I have a conversation with Liv Albert, the host, creator, writer, editor, and producer of the “Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!” podcast. Liv has a degree in English Literature & Classics from Concordia University in Montreal where she studied ancient Greece and Rome broadly. Now, she researches new details and versions of Greek mythological stories to tell in her podcast, and especially loves speaking with experts on various ancient world subjects. Liv is devoted to the world of Greek and Roman mythology, even, in her own words, if it is full of bloodshed and horrible men. Liv is also the author of the #1 New Release and Bestselling book that came out in 2021, Greek Mythology: The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook, and her newest book came out in April, Nectar of the Gods which is a book of 75 Greek mythology themed cocktails created with Thea Engst and illustrated by Sara Richard. Learn more about our program at bigreadlakeshore.com and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all things Big Read!

In this episode, my co-host, Addie and I have a conversation with two middle and high school teachers at Black River Public Schools, Brent and Karen Rowe. Karen Rowe has taught middle and high school English at Black River Public Schools since 2005. She has her Masters of Arts in English Literature from Grand Valley State University. Karen has participated in NEA Big Read Lakeshore for all of its 8 years and serves as our Big Read teacher leader along with Audra Bolhuis. Brent Rowe graduated from Hope College in 1999 and has his Masters in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia College of Irvine. He taught in the Dominican Republic and Berkeley, California before his current teaching position of 21 years at Black River Public School. Learn more about our program at bigreadlakeshore.com and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all things Big Read!

In this episode, my co-host, Addie, and I have a conversation with two professors at Hope College, Dr. Bram ten Berge and Dr. Margaret Burr. Dr. ten Berge has his Ph.D. in classics from the University of Michigan. As part of his postgraduate training, Dr. ten Berge did the Regular Year Program at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, and has worked on archaeological projects in England, Greece, and Italy. He joined the Hope faculty in 2017 where he teaches language, history, and classical civilization classes across the classics and history curricula. Dr. Burr has her Ph.D. in archaeology from the University of Oxford, and has been teaching at Hope since 2020. Her courses have included Introduction to Classical Archaeology, Introduction to Ancient Civilization, and two travel-themed First Year Seminars. Dr. Burr loves being engaged in fieldwork, and most recently worked as the finds supervisor on a project excavating a Roman “small town” near Oxford. She has also worked on field projects in Italy, Greece, Romania, and the United States. Learn more about our program at bigreadlakeshore.com and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all things Big Read!

In this episode, my co-host, Addie and I have a conversation with Dr. Stephen Maiullo, the interim Dean of Arts and Humanities at Hope College. Dr. Maiullo has his Ph.D. in Classics from Ohio State University, and has been a professor at Hope College since two thousand ten. His area of expertise is in Greek literature, Greek and Roman philosophy, and reception of classical literature. He teaches Latin and Greek language courses, classes that focus on the literature of the classical world, and general education courses on topics such as classical mythology, and the history of Rome. Learn more about our program at bigreadlakeshore.com and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all things Big Read!

In this episode, my co-host, Addie, and I have a conversation with Elisabeth Thoburn, a professor at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Professor Thoburn was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1985. She is an art historian, educator, public speaker, and world traveler who received her Master’s degree in both Western and Asian art from the University of Michigan in 1994. She has taught art history, mythology, and humanities classes at WCC since 1994. Her travel experiences directly enhance and inform her teaching materials and methods. Learn more about our program at bigreadlakeshore.com and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all things Big Read! Museum Treasure Hunts: Kelsey Museum Treasure Hunt UMMA Mythology Treasure Hunt

In this episode, I have a conversation with Susanna Childress. She has authored the poetry volumes Jagged with Love and Entering the House of Awe and is finishing a collection of essays, Extremely Yours. Susanna teaches at Hope College and lives with her family in Holland, Michigan. We are grateful to have her expertise teach us about poetry today! Learn more about our program at bigreadlakeshore.com and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all things Big Read!

In this episode, I have a conversation with poet Mark Hiskes. Mark Hiskes grew up in Chicago, the seventh of eight kids lucky enough to be raised by Harold and Everdean.  He has been blessed to be an English teacher for 35 years. When he’s not grading papers, he loves to walk, read, write, hang out in classrooms with students, and refurbish old furniture with Cindy for her antique business. On good days, he manages to do a little of all five. He and Cindy have proudly raised two children, Peter and Mary, who are off on family adventures of their own. Mark and Cindy live near the foxes in Holland, Michigan. Learn more about our program at bigreadlakeshore.com and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all things Big Read!

In this episode, I have a conversation with my Hope College colleague, Pablo Peschiera. Pablo is an Associate Professor in the Department of English, at Hope College, and currently serves as the Interim Chair and as the Area Coordinator for Creative Writing. He's published over 100 poems, interviews, reviews, essays, and translations from Spanish and he teaches poetry to Hope College students. Hear about his own writing journey and how he reads poems! Learn more about our program at bigreadlakeshore.com and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all things Big Read!

In this episode, I have a conversation with Dana VanderLugt. Dana VanderLugt lives in West Michigan with her husband, three sons, and spoiled golden retriever. She has an MFA from Spalding University and works as a teacher and instructional coach. Her work has been published in Longridge Review, Ruminate, The Reformed Journal, and Relief: A Journal of Art & Faith. She can be found online at www.danavanderlugt.com and on Twitter @danavanderlugt. Learn more about our program at bigreadlakeshore.com and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all things Big Read!

In this episode, I have a conversation with David James. James, who writes as D.R. James has taught writing, literature, and peace-making at Hope College for 34 years and lives in the woods near Saugatuck, Michigan. His poems and prose have appeared in a variety of journals Including Galway Review) and anthologies, his latest of eight poetry collections are If god were gentle (Dos Madres Press) and Surreal Expulsion (The Poetry Box), and his microchapbook All Her Jazz is free and downloadable-for-the-folding at the Origami Poems. Here are links to his works mentioned in the episode: http://www.amazon.com/author/drjamesauthorpage https://www.dosmadres.com/shop/mobius-trip-by-d-r-james/ Learn more about our program at bigreadlakeshore.com and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all things Big Read!

In this episode, I have a conversation with Jack Ridl. Jack Ridl taught at Hope from 1971 until retiring in 2006. With his wife Julie, Ridl founded the Visiting Writers Series at Hope College, later named the "Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series" in his honor, He is the author of several collections of poetry, and has also published more than 300 poems in journals and has work included in numerous anthologies. He has given readings of  his work and led workshops at colleges, universities, art colonies and other venues around the country. Learn more about our program at bigreadlakeshore.com and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all things Big Read!

In this podcast episode, I talk with Thea Patterson, one of my former Hope College students! Now, she's a teaches sixth grade English and is sharing her expertise with our Big Read community. We talk about her love for literature and where it began, engaging with characters, books as windows and mirrors, and her book recommendations! We admire Thea's love for literacy and we cannot wait for you to get to know her through this episode. Learn more about our program at bigreadlakeshore.com and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all things Big Read!

In this podcast episode, I talk with Karen Rowe, Black River High School English teacher. We talk about her involvement with the Big Read (eight years!) and how she's seen reading benefit and build community. Karen uses examples from her own classroom, other classrooms, and even her daughter to share ideas and tools for utilizing reading in a community. We are so grateful for Karen! Learn more about our program at bigreadlakeshore.com and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all things Big Read!

In this podcast episode, I talk with Professor Bill Moreau, associate professor of English at Hope College. Our conversation is focused on the strategies he uses to emphasize literature and reading with his students, both at the high school and college levels. Bill has a keen understanding teaching the greater storyline of literature and shares some of the strategies he uses with his students! Learn more about our program at bigreadlakeshore.com and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all things Big Read! Contact Professor Moreau: https://hope.edu/directory/people/moreau-bill/index.html

In this podcast episode, I talk with Dr. Tatevik (Tato) Gyulamiryan, associate professor of Spanish at Hope College. In our conversation, Tato explains why the Big Read Lakeshore is her favorite event on campus and reflects on the ways she makes the study of literature timely, relevant, and engaging to the college students in her classes. Learn more about our program at bigreadlakeshore.com and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on all things Big Read! Contact Dr. Tato Gyulamiryan: https://hope.edu/directory/people/gyulamiryan-tatevik/index.html

Today we are joined by Kelsey Sivertson, a recent graduate of Hope College. Kelsey is a dear friend of mine, and truly one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. While at Hope College, Kelsey majored in Creative Writing. She also was very involved in the Theater department, with her most recent role as Gloria Mitchell in the play, By The Way, Meet Vera Stark. In 2022, Kelsey was the recipient of the distinguished award, the Trustee Scholar for Hope College’s English Department in Creative Writing. In 2023, Kelsey received the Lotz Prize in Creative Writing. In 2024, Kelsey received the Jennifer Young Award for Creative Writing. After graduating in 2024, Kelsey became a published poet--you can see her poetry in the latest edition of the Oakland Review. She is also a member of Pear Tree Society, a post-graduate Christian community focused on the study of theology and the practice of spiritual disciplines.

In part two of this podcast episode, we are joined by Dr. Michael Van Dyke, an English professor at Hope College. Dr. Van Dyke joined the Hope faculty in August 2023, but he taught at several universities and colleges before coming to Hope College. When asked about his favorite part of teaching, he responded by saying that he finds it most rewarding when students discover books they might not have initially chosen but end up loving. Dr. Van Dyke received his PhD from Michigan State University. His scholarly interests include 20th-century American literature, film studies, and the intersection of faith and the arts. He wrote his doctoral dissertation on the poet Kenneth Rexroth and continues to be inspired by his poetry and essays. Outside of academia, Dr. Van Dyke enjoying painting (pictures, not houses), watching films from the 1970s, and following Michigan State basketball.To learn more about the Big Read, visit our website at bigreadlakeshore.com

In part one of today’s podcast episode, we are joined by Dr. Michael Van Dyke, an English professor at Hope College. Dr. Van Dyke joined the Hope faculty in August of 2023, but he taught at several universities and colleges before coming to Hope College. When asked about his favorite part of teaching, he responded by saying that he find it most rewarding when student discover books they might not have initially chosen but end up loving. Dr. Van Dyke received his PhD from Michigan State University. His scholarly interests include 20th-century American literature, film studies, and the intersection of faith and the arts. He wrote his doctoral dissertation on the poet Kenneth Rexroth and continues to be inspired by his poetry and essays. Outside of academia, Dr. Van Dyke enjoys painting (pictures, not houses), watching films from the 1970s, and following Michigan State basketball. To learn more about the Big Read, visit our website at bigreadlakeshore.com

Today we are joined by Dr. Steven McMullen, an economics professor at Hope College. In this episode he discusses the economics of the 1920s and how it pertains to The Great Gatsby. One of Dr. McMullen’s academic passions is to explore Christian thinking about economics. He is the host of the podcast Faithful Economy and executive editor of the journal Faith & Economics, both associated with the Association of Christian Economists. Dr. McMullen is also a published author, and you can check out his multiple publications on his website: https://stevenmcmullen.com/

In this first episode of season three, the host for this season, Addie Wilcox, talks with Dr. David “Mike” Owens. Dr. Owens is a retired professor of American Literature. He taught at Hope College starting in 2017, and before he taught at Valparaiso University in Indiana. While at Hope, Dr. Owens also served as the founding/interim director of college writing. Dr. Owens received his PhD in American Literature from Purdue University in 2001, and since then he has published a book titled The Devil's Topographer: Ambrose Bierce and the American War Story, and multiple articles including “Where the Ground was the Enemy: Setting as Character in The Things They Carried,” “Back From ‘That Literary Hell, the Footnote’: Sarah B. Cooper's Overland Monthly Writings,” and “The Last Campaign of John Brown's Body: West Point and America's Forgotten Civil War Epic.” Mike’s primary area of expertise is American Literature from mid-19th until mid-20th centuries. He has additional areas of interest in American short fiction, African American literature, workplace and professional writing, and composition. Before becoming a professor, Dr. Owens was an Army officer, having spent 21 years as an infantryman with many of those in the 82nd Airborne Division. He was a Master Parachutist and a Ranger as well.If you want to learn more about about The Great Gatsby or The Big Read program, be sure to check out the website: https://bigreadlakeshore.com/