Mail from my English professor in regard to my final paper:

[Lyric]

----- Original Message -----
From: (Oktoberain's English Professor) <[e-mail]>
Date: Thursday, December 11, 2008 9:34 pm
Subject: Fwd: 2009 Writing Contests
To: Oktoberain's student e-mail address

Oktoberain,
You may or may not have noticed that there is a 102 category for
the James Paul Brawner contest. Your final paper (with a minor
revision or two to the first page) should absolutely go.

Now. You may say, "But English Professor! I've already won a writing
award! I don't want to hog them all!" to which I say, "Bullshit!"
This is the best single paper I've had written in one of my classes
in ten years of teaching composition, and I'll be damned if it isn't
going to be submitted for this contest. Who knows whether it will win,
but it has as good a shot as anything I've ever put a grade on.

You may also say (as you recently did), "But English Professor! What
if I win these awards simply because I'm older than most 102 students!
Maybe I have an unfair advantage!" to which I again say "Bullshit!"
Most adult learners (and I've taught my share) are concerned with
coming into these classes rusty and behind the curve. And I've
seen plenty of 18-year-olds who can write their way around most
adults. So your self-denigrating rationale holds not even a single
drop of water: for 102 or for anything you will do at this
university. Period.

So there.

English Professor

I'm not sure whether to laugh, cry, do both, or just be incredibly grateful to have a professor this supportive and utterly fantastic. This was in regard to my rhetorical argument research paper on welfare reform, btw.

I heart my professor. And I get to have him again next semester for Theatre Tour!

:bounce:

[LisaL]

1. So do you get a prize if you win?

[Lyric]

5. Yes--here are the contest details for the one he mentioned:

James Paul Brawner Expository Writing Contest

This contest is separated into three divisions: English 102, undergraduate writing (including English 103 and all WVU classes), and graduate writing from any course at WVU. First ($100), second ($75), and third ($50) place awards are normally awarded for each division. Please submit one example of expository writing from any class taken at WVU during 2008-09. Students may not submit more than one entry per division.

The paper in question was the final paper for my English 102 class, by the way. :)

[suninvited]

2. Listen to the professor!

Enter the contest and good luck !

[seemunkee]

3. That email is gold

[DarkTirade]

4. And a good sense of humor, too.

:)

[Lyric]

8. Oh gods yes--he's hilarious.

And probably one of the most brilliant men I've ever known in my life. He could teach at any Ivy League school that he wanted to--I can't imagine what keeps him teaching at WVU, an athletic school, save that he might feel like he's more "needed" here. I've had two classes with him now, and this is the first time that I have ever seen him praise something in a way that is more supportive than constructive. It's really a shock, to me. I haven't responded, because I honestly don't know what to say. "Thank you" seems a little...underwhelming.

[LisaM]

28. You need to write him back in a similar bantering manner

Oh! Professor! I'm not quite sure how to take your compliments!

I say to myself, but Professor! How can I, a modest, if accomplished scholar, be deemed worthy of cleaning up all the awards?



......and so on.....

[Symarip]

6. That's really cool

Wear it like a badge of honor. And definitely enter the contest. If you got it, flaunt it. Know what I'm sayin'?

[LostinVA]

7. Way to go!!!!!!!!!!!

[crim son]

9. Huge congratulations!

I don't blame you for being thrilled. Wow!

[BreweryYardRat]

10. Go for it!

One of my term papers gave me an idea for a personal project I might try to get published in some academic journal or other, and the other one's on a topic that's uncommon enough that a journal might find it worth publishing for sheer novelty value.

Back to work now. Goodbye and good luck!

[Dr. Strange]

11. You should laugh and cry...and dance!

Congratulations!

[Chorophyll]

12. Laugh, cry, and

submit the paper, for chrissakes! :yourock:

[tigereye]

13. you are very lucky to have such a supportive prof!

and you must be a pretty talented writer as well!


Kudos! :party:

[1gobluedem]

14. Congratulations!

And go for it! Frame this letter too.

[redqueen]

15. Wow... that's wonderful.

The best in 10 years of classes? You should be very proud.

:toast:

[Lyric]

16. Yeah--that part made me choke up a bit.

It really means the world to me to hear things like that.

:hug:

[MountainLaurel]

17. Woohoo!

You lean, mean, writing machine! :hug:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

18. fabulous!

[TommyO]

19. Did he actually sign it "English Professor"?

That's way too Epstein's Mother for me!


Congratulations.

[Lyric]

26. Haha! No, I just edited it because I was posting a personal e-mail.

I wasn't sure of the etiquette involved, so when in doubt, privacy comes first.

:hi:

[huskerlaw]

20. CONGRATS!!

And of course, he's entirely correct...you should definitely go for it!

:toast:

:hug:

[Lefty-Taylor]

21. Damn! You rock!

:yourock:

[ghostsofgiants]

22. That's awesome.

:D

He sounds like a fun professor, too.

[DrZeeLit]

23. I'm an English Professor and I've NEVER had the dance-of-joy opportunity to write a letter like that

I'd "kill" to write such a note.

The majority of my students have no love of writing, or reading for that matter.
On my evaluations I get: "She's so enthusiastic. She's supportive. I hate writing. She loves writing and makes me want to love writing, too."
Alas.... no. No contestants for me.

GOOD LUCK!

p.s. I do have to say, my "returning" students (the adult learners) are GREAT. I am so happy to have them in class. They contribute so much to the conversation and the flow of ideas. I'm sure your professor is feeling jazzed about your success!

[MineralMan]

24. Good on ya!

Enter the contest.

You have a good professor. I had a very bad one, once...long ago. I had done a paper for his class, and it was one that had some original thinking in it on a literary topic. Got a nice "A" for it, too. But then...about a year later, I was doing some research in a rather obscure literary journal when I spied my paper in there, with that stupid Prof's name on it.

Dumbass! Cost him his cushy tenured job, it did. However, pushing the issue cost me my Masters. It seemed that the members of the committee didn't take kindly to my blowing the whistle on that butthole. But, never mind, my GI Bill money had run out, anyhow, so it didn't matter.

I spent the next 30 years in a successful career as a magazine writer. The Prof didn't fare so well.

[Oeditpus Rex]

25. You have an English prof who says 'bullshit'?

ZOMD!!! HIS LICSENSE SHOOD BE TOOK AWAY FOR CURTPPING ARE CHILDRENS!!!11









:hug: :applause:

[LynzM]

27. Oh noes!!

The horror!!

(that was the first thing I noticed, too)

[Oeditpus Rex]

29. You're as bad as I am

:rofl:



:hug:

[LynzM]

30. Heh.

Possibly. Form copy editor and proofreader, and constant grammar nazi. Usually just in my head, though. :)

:hug: back!