In the second of our series of profiles of graduating English majors, we find out more about Abby Barnhart, this year's co-President of the English club.
What were the most valuable experiences of your English major (and of course, why)?
Building relationships with professors that challenged me and made me love learning, an internship that taught me how to use skills outside of the classroom, camaraderie with other English majors, the English club, the Literary Journal... all of these things layered on top of each other to create a wonderful experience in a welcoming family of English majors, minors, and professors. I get teary-eyed thinking about not sitting in a classroom with people who love literature and puns as much as I do.
Have your favorite writers changed since you’ve been here? Who are they now and why?
Right now, my favorite book is One Hundred Years of Solitude. Ask me again in a few weeks... I've definitely added some old, dead white guys to my favorites list that I never liked too much before Trout's class (Melville, Hawthorne, Poe).
What post-graduation plans do you have?
Immediately, I'm going to me employed (hooray!) as an independent contractor with Thomas Nelson Publishers where I did my internship. I'll be writing press releases, handling marketing campaigns, and weaseling my way into book editing (hopefully!). Farther than that, it's hard to see. I'll keep you posted.
True or False:
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens.
EVERYTHING depends upon this . . . I even reformatted it for you :)
Any shout outs on your way out?
Too many. Shout outs to the thief who ate Dr. Sisson's mint brownies from the faculty lounge fridge, to the 10 more people who have now read Moby Dick, to the 08/09 English club for reading all my e-mails, to the delicious plums (so sweet and so cold), to the first group of Writing Fellows, to anyone who has ever tried to lay out a Literary Journal in InDesign, to Dr. Hutchins for telling me I could write creatively and making me believe it, and to Wheeler for housing the English department only metaphorically while all its majors trekked to Inman for every class.
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