Listening to a Literary Scholar

 

Today, Dear Readers, I am offering you something out of the ordinary from what you have become accustomed to me to publishing, during the short time that I have been publishing in this space with you that is.

As a student of liberal interdisciplinary undergraduate studies, I have exposure to wonderful educators, scholars, who actively produce programming and publish professional content out into the world. I am fortunate to have some who evolve into excellent coaches whose feedback I have valued in class and envision that will remain the case long after class has dismissed. These are the ones I admire for the work they do outside of university settings and, as professors, in the university setting are passionate about helping others learn and achieve their goals, subsequently. 

These are the professors who understand they are helping to shape the futures of other people, even of generations and societies, and give agency to their students without an inkling of self-important and trivial pettiness, despite - or, more accurately, because of - being brilliant minds. In the realm of upper level academics, they are keen to support the academic success for others who, too, are inspired to strive to achieve some level of greatness in, both, higher learning and in the world at large.

No one I have had the pleasure to meet fits that bill more than Dr. Samuel Fitzpatrick, who holds a Ph.D. in English Literature with an emphasis on African American Literature. Dr. Fitzpatrick is an adjunct professor at Spalding University, a small private school in Louisville, Kentucky with a notable Liberal Studies program. At Spalding, Dr. Fitzpatrick teaches Literature courses while he works on other personal projects, not the least of which is being an excellent husband and father.

Dr. Fitzpatrick's life has been influenced with multinational and multiethnic experiences. I believe this is noteworthy to mention in his written introduction because it sheds more perspective onto his ability to connect with others in a way that tethers a wide range of readers, even while exploring some tragic elements of humanity. That connection, his perspective, in combination with his literary education that in itself must impart understanding, empathy and excellence, inform his vast comprehension of the human condition. Dr. Fitzpatrick is able to impart the objectivity of academic analysis while being sensitive to emotions that are prone to be evoked by some difficult text. In short, the world is better for it.

The following is a brief conversation I had the honor to have with Dr. Fitzpatrick out of the classroom regarding the tasks, responsibilities, and takeaways of literary analysis. Thank you, Dr. Fitzpatrick, for sharing some of your valuable time with my burgeoning audience and me, today: 

Play Interview with Dr. Samuel Fitzpatrick, Ph.D.