Goucher Reads

Jen Schiller

1. Who are you and what are you interested in?

I’m Jen Schiller, a 2010 alum and former library worker. I just finished my Masters degree in Theatre Studies, and now I’m looking for a big-girl job. My absolute passion is writing (my BA from Goucher is in creative writing), I’m a three-time winner of National Novel Writing month and I love throwing together staged readings of my plays with the very talented people I call friends. This summer I’ll be hosting at least one writers retreat with some of those very talented people.

When I’m not writing, I’m usually reading, watching television or movies, or playing any of a variety of video games. I’m also an entertainment blogger for International House of Geek, where I write about everything from the Muppets to Doctor Who to Dragon Ball Z. I had an awesome internship last summer at Kotaku writing video game news. 

I’m also a dramaturg, which means I sit around in theatres and help contextualize shows for the directors and cast. It also means I’m always interested in new research. Currently, I’m working on two major projects, one related to Harry Potter and the other about the new Doctor Who series. I love sinking my teeth into a new research project.

The short list of my interests related to all that jazz includes (but is definitely not limited to) early 20th century history, comic books, young adult fiction, classic science-fiction, fanfiction, American musicals, British television, tea, Disney (not just the movies. history, philosophy, technology, etc.), anime, and…well…the list goes on.

When I get my butt back into gear, you can read all about it on my personal blog, theempirestrikesforward.

I try to switch back and forth between fiction and non-fiction. I just finished Zen in the Art of Writing, by Ray Bradbury, so I have to decide what to read next. My boyfriend is really into Patrick Rothfuss, so he stuck The Name of the Wind into my purse the other day, but I also want to finish the Hunger Games trilogy.

My next non-fictions are going to be Chicks Dig Timelords, an anthology of essays by female fans of Doctor Who and American Eve, Evelyn Nesbit’s biography.

Randalynn Kennedy

1. Who are you and what are you interested in?

My name is Randi Kennedy and I am the Assistant to the College Librarian in the Goucher College Library.  I am interested in Religious Studies, Linguistics, Medieval History, and especially reading: historical fiction, literary fiction, young adult fiction, fantasy, etc.  Besides academic interests, I also enjoy exercising—especially running and swimming—as well as spending time with my cats and napping.

2. What are you reading currently?

I just finished a fantastic YA audiobook named Chime by Franny Billingsley.  It was magical, frustrating, beautifully written, and unforgettable.  I might have to buy a copy.

I am currently reading Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and will start my next audiobook, The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters, at the gym this evening.

3. What is the most important book you have ever read?

The book that got me to study English literature would be one: Seamus Heaney’s poetic rendering of Beowulf.  The book that got me interested in reading for pleasure would be the other: J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings introduced me to a type of literature that isn’t read because it’s classwork but because it takes you to new worlds, new ways of thinking and being.

4. If you could suggest one book to read, what would it be and why?

It really depends on the person I’m suggesting the book to, but I think I would suggest Christopher Moore’s Fool to just about anybody.  It’s rooted in a classic of English literature, King Lear by Shakespeare, but Moore makes it into a witty, moving comedy about the nature of power, language, and time.  It’s a laugh out loud read that earned me a lot of confused looks at the gym (as a laughed so hard I almost fell off my treadmill).  Pretty much anything by Christopher Moore will make you wet yourself laughing.

Max Eber

1. Who are you and what are you interested in?

My name’s Max Eber, I’m a 2011 graduate of Goucher College and studied English, concentration creative writing while there. I’m pretty scattered interests wise, it causes a bit of a problem as it sort of leaves me unable to pursue all of them. For instance I love art but didn’t have time to finish an art minor while at Goucher. I was also lured into acting by my friends (as in forced) but having done it I found I really loved it and since then I would love to do more theatre and cultivate that craft through dance and singing lessons. But it’s hard to fit that in at the moment since I also enjoy horticulture and garden design and since graduation have started my own landscape design business as a means to support myself. Have already had a few clients this spring already so it’s looking to be an interesting year. Otherwise I really enjoy play and screenwriting, I’m in the midst of writing a play adapted from this Italian folktales that’s turning into sort of a Shakespeare pastiche.  It’s bawdy but in a frothy way which is pretty fun.

Otherwise I’m into superhero comics (particularly the Batman Family) and vintage film, animation, illustration, clothing and design. Pretty much anything to do with aesthetics and design interests me.

2. What are you reading now?

It’s a bit embarrassing since it’s not very literary, but outside of plant nursery catalogs, I’ve actually been engrossed in reading cooking books.  I’m a foodie and can make some deserts but I’m rather lazy when it comes to making savory food for myself. I’ve been experimenting and have been making a point to try to actually cook actual meals. Other than that I’ve been reading Italian Folktales retold by Italo Calvino, of which the tale I’m adapting for my play is from. It was the only story in the book that was relatively pedestrian and domestic. There was no magic or any of the other fairytale trappings that pepper the other stories in the book and so it really stood out to me and reminded me of Taming of The Shrew and Much Ado About Nothing.

3. What is the most important book you have ever read?

  Really hard question as I sort of equate a lot of books to food, you read them and sort of absorb them as you would food’s calories and nutritional content. So they all contribute whether you like it or not. I could say admittedly I get impatient with a lot of novels. I find really well written short stories can deliver a much more concentrated shot of emotions or leave one particularly disturbed. I really owe a lot of my creativity though to a lot of the picture books and young adult novels I grew up with. I’m very visual so these days I appreciate when revisiting my childhood library those books that had beautiful illustrations. My mom used to work at a children’s bookstore so she had a pretty extensive cache of children’s classics and sort of forgotten oddball works around the house growing up. I guess favorites, pretty unsurprising would be things by Doctor Seuss and Maurice Sendak (doesn’t take much to figure out why I liked Where The Wild Things Are) especially Pierre (A Cautionary Tale) and love even ones  he didn’t write but illustrated as he did for a Sesyle Joslin book on manners called What Do You Say Dear? Other things are the sort of amazing for their art is Imps. Demons. Hobgoblins. Witches. Fairies & Elves by Leonard Baskin, Masquerade by Kit Williams and The Practical Princess by Jay Williams, illustrated by Frisco Henstra.

As far as determinate life changers, probably reading Thorton Wilder’s playThe Skin of Our Teeth sticks as it brought together both a bizarre flippancy and dead seriousness together in one package sort of  through me for a loop.  I also owe a lot of credit to Italo Calvino, Oscar Wilde, and J.D. Salinger.

4. If you could suggest one book, what would it be and why?

Probably Italo Calvino’sDifficult Loves, the Riviera section of stories is truly beautiful.

I sort of worship Salinger’s 9 Stories though, it’s far superior to Catcher In The Rye. I adapted the story Teddy from this book to the stage for class at Goucher but since Salinger’s estate pretty much has embargoes on his work so I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to stage it anywhere.  It’s funny I remember having to read the book in ninth grade and I sort of wanted nothing to do with it. But after the fact and during discussion I started really enjoying the short stories. Salinger’s work is also pretty dated, obviously influenced by the movies of the time, and I’m not sure if it’s sadistic but I enjoy seeing Salinger’s sort of affluent rich white people having mental breakdowns, being alcoholics. The general permanence of sadness and unrest in many of the stories is very, I also like how he writes children. Probably half the appeal to me is to see that idealized chic image of post WWII sort of upper class aesthetic and lifestyles being sort of punctured or sullied by mental illness, alcohol and depression as well as other vices and issues. It’s a wonderful juxtaposition that reminds me of some episodes of The Twilight Zone, as well as Hitchcock movies and the Hitchcock Blonde concept where often very kept people that often embody that aesthetic are thrown into odd situations and or suddenly or even quietly unravel before us. Despite the heavy hitters like A Perfect Day for Banana Fish and Teddy the book has some wonderfully sweet, sincere moments too that I envy a lot as a writer.  I’m more inclined to write comedy so it’s always very enviable when other writers can pull off tender and somber moments without it appearing too trite on either.

Kristen Welzenbach

1. Who are you and what are you interested in?

My name is Kristen Welzenbach and I am the Digital Systems and Services Librarian at Goucher College Library.  I graduated from the University of Maryland with a Masters Degree in Library Science and a Masters in History.  I am a sports junkie, beach lover, obsessive reader, master list maker, and wannabe techie geek.  I am a huge supporter of early literacy and encourage people to read whatever, whenever.  You don’t have to read the classics or academic publications- read what you enjoy and it will stay with you for life. 

2. What are you reading now?

The good thing about not being in school is that I can read whatever I want.  I love the Young Adult and Middle Grades genres.  Some of my favorites are The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, Savvy, Wonderstruck, and Just Listen.  My daughter and I are reading the Ramona Quimby books together so that has been a blast to revisit them.  I just finished Marcelo in the Real World (excellent) and I am plodding through Walter Isaacson’s biography, Steve Jobs.

3. What is the most important book you have ever read?

To Kill a Mockingbird was such a pivotal book for me.  I read it when I was 13 and I can perfectly remember all the emotions I went through while reading it.  I was outraged that Tom Robinson was convicted when it was clear he was innocent, I pictured my father as Atticus the lawyer who fights for good even when it wasn’t the most popular stance, and I hoped that I had a little bit of Scout’s spunk. 

I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter series, not because I think they are literary masterpieces, but because they encouraged people (adults, teenagers, middle schoolers, parents reading to children) to read.  I also thoroughly enjoyed being swept away in Harry’s life and in the lives of all of those who attended Hogwarts.

4. If you could suggest one book, what would it be and why?

I really love Brian Selznick’s work.  He wrote The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck.  The way he weaves the story between words and pictures is so moving.  It reminds me that stories aren’t always about words and what is being said.  Sometimes we need to stop and look at the illustrations so we can understand even more of what is happening at a particular time.  His books are truly magical!

For those interested, Kristen is running the new e-reader program at the library. Many of the books mentioned in these interviews are available through the e-readers. And the program is free!

Kathryn Dehler

1. Who are you and what are you interested in?

My name is Kathryn Dehler and I’m a junior American Studies major. I’m interested primarily in people—so I’m interested in history, philosophy, art, politics, language, literature, sociology, psychology, food, and most other things. Right now, I’m organizing my academic interests specifically around the criminal justice system, race, and capitalism. I work as an office assistant at the library and as a tutor at the Writing Center. I’m also interested in trees and the ocean and being around both as much as possible. 

I’m currently reading various texts for various classes and research: assorted essays by Martin Heidegger, The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison by Jeffrey Reiman, The Illusion of Free Markets: Punishment and the Myth of Natural Order by Bernard E. Harcourt. 

I’m taking a seminar on Heidegger right now, so reading his works throughout the class has been intellectually invigorating, and I recommend him to anyone grappling with the question of what it means to be (which is everyone, I would say, on some level). 
Reiman’s book is fascinating. He argues that the criminal justice system functions better today as a vehicle for perpetuating crime rather than for stopping it, and that it does this largely by creating an image of crime as the work of the poor. Very compelling, and very well-articulated.   

Harcourt’s book, which I’m about half-way through, discusses relationships between the economy, punishment and government intervention; he basically argues that “free markets” don’t really exist, and that free market ideology, in trying to be independent of government involvement, assigns the sphere of punishment as the legitimate place for exercising government power. It opens with this cool and fairly detailed history of market regulation in early France, which he then compares to current views of US market regulation, which is pretty interesting, especially if you’re interested in French history as I am.    

Michael Habif

1. Who are you and what are you interested in?

I graduated from Goucher in 2010 and graduated from Loyola’s Emerging Leaders MBA program in 2011. I’m currently unemployed (aka: full time science fiction reader). I am one of the most knowledgeable people in the world about science fiction literature (seriously) after having read over 400 science fiction novels and short story collections as well as studying the field’s history in tremendous depth. I’m also very interested in economics and play drums in the band Antherums.

2. What are you reading now?

I’m currently reading Gardner Dozois’ anthology The Best of the Best Volume 2. The book contains what Dozois considers the best science fiction novellas from among the first 20 volumes of his annual Year’s Best short story anthology (currently at 28 volumes). Many in the field, including myself, consider the novella to be the definitive length for science fiction because it allows one to concentrate on a single idea and extrapolate on it without all of the fluff that goes into a novel. Unfortunately, I didn’t care for many of the novellas in the collection with the exception of New Light on the Drake Equation by Ian R. Macleod.

Next I will read Dan Simmon’s Ilium which is essentially the Iliad taking place on Mars (most people: “That sounds stupid.”) (awesome people: “God yes.”)

3. What was the most important book you have ever read?

The most important book I’ve ever read is The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin. This novel is very important because it defines the value of science fiction (or speculative fiction to use a broader, more inclusive term) to me. The novel is about a planet and its satellite in which the planet’s society is purely capitalistic and the satellite’s is anarchistic (or more a form of pure socialism). The novel’s central protagonist is in search of his personal utopia among the two societies. The novel deals largely with political theory and economics and how they can change societal values and morals. Many people who don’t read science fiction look at The Dispossessed and say “That’s not science fiction, that’s literature.” I’ve never found a satisfactory answer for what defines ‘literature’, but I know that the ideas in the novel cannot be effectively explored with any two societies that have ever existed. Therefore, Le Guin had to create these societies from scratch with convincing economics, ecology, and politics that all play off each other and each play a definitive part of the protagonist’s story. She builds the macro elements and lets us discover them from the micro point of view.  In conclusion, the true value of science fiction is being able to take the reader out of our world in order to look at it from the outside-in.

4. If you could suggest one book, what would it be and why?

I would pick Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg because it enjoyable to both people who do and dont read science fiction (even my mom liked it).