Bright Star

I majored in English at Cortland. My choice of major came about after a nasty spell of student teaching during hunting season where the 2 kids in class gave me blank stares the whole time. I quickly changed from Education to straight English.

My favorite classes at Cortland were with Professor Alwes. She was active presence on campus and a vocal feminist. She lead the 'take back the night' marches and reproductive rights debates. She once asked me to meet her at her office hours and proceeded to admonish me for taking place in a fraternity 'beauty contest' fundraiser.

I took many classes with Professor Alwes on the Romantic Poets. I fell in love with the works of William Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley and Keats.

It was such a joy to me to discover that Emanuel Swedenborg, (the founder of the religion of the church where TJ and I were married,) was a great influence on William Blake.


After living in Hampstead for over a year - I finally visited John Keats' House. It was a beautiful day with the KCWC spent looking at art that inspired Keats in a private area of the British Museum, a walk around Hampstead, a visit to Keats' house, and lunch at a local pub.

Talking about literature and specifically Keats and the Romantics brought me right back to Professor Alwes classes. I remember leaving them inspired, walking back to the sorority house in the deep snow, with a huge smile.

"To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour."