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Exploring the Otherworldly / Robin Hough Memorial / Faculty Awards
The book is filled with photos, paintings, and descriptions of goblins and their duties, such as Malecha, the “notorious milk curdler,” and Aggat, the culprit who drops “small, nearly invisible pebbles inside mortal shoes.” “I created a catalog of annoyances — the kinds of things that drive people crazy — and I gave them all names and made them into characters,” said Berk, who refers to his book as “absurd but absolutely true.” “I’ve tried to provide a humorous way for people to negotiate with or laugh at the apparent randomness of daily events,” he said. “There is a long folkloric tradition of people negotiating with the otherworldly in this way — tales of ghosts, spirits, and goblins — and what are these but particular kinds of conversations between people and the seemingly inexplicable?” “Goblins!” was illustrated by acclaimed fantasy artist Brian Froud. Berk and Froud have also published two other books, “Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Letters” and “The Runes of Elfland.” “I’ve always preferred wonder stories. I think they’re the most real, because they show us the intricacies and essential aspects of humanity, society and our emotions played out large,” said Berk. “Because these stories include fantastic elements, such as monsters, enchantment and quests, they create what I call ‘intimate distance,’ a chance to associate with and learn from something that appears to not be about you or your world but, of course, is about you all along. At the end of such tales, we turn out of the story and see ourselves.”
Ari Berk, shown here in a photo from his book "Goblins!," is a professor in CMU's English department, where he teaches mythology, folklore, American Indian literature and medieval literature. Some of his writings on myth and folklore have been published or reprinted on the Endicott Studio Online Journal of Mythic Arts (www.endicott-studio.com).
Berk has traveled to Europe, the British Isles, Nova Scotia and the American Southwest in search of storied landscapes. “My travels are integral to my writing. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for me to stand in the ancient places of the world, to learn as much as I can about their past, and then to imagine what other stories might still be present in those landscapes,” said Berk. “Ruins, monuments, old forests and other hallowed sites show us vividly and memorably that we are not alone in time or space. Other people have walked our paths before us, and we are still part of those stories that began so long ago.” Berk believes that myth and folklore should not be studied merely as nursery tales or historical artifacts, but as living narratives, and he hopes he can help his readers and students find ways to place themselves in the context of those stories. “Because of the ways in which myths enlarge aspects of the human condition and dramatize conflicts, whether interpersonal, psychological or intercultural, they have a lot to say about what it means to be human,” said Berk. “In other words, we are the stories we tell about ourselves, and our world is the way it is because of how we tell ourselves about it.” Ari Berk received his bachelor’s degree from Humboldt State University and his master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. All of his programs were interdisciplinary, with a focus on literature, anthropology, history and cultures where myth and folklore are central. His research interests include folklore belief and custom in rural Britain, Celtic mythology, and Native American literature and ethnography. He sits on the Mythic Imagination Institute’s Board of Directors.
Family, friends celebrate the life of Robin Hough
Hough, an associate professor of religion, died January 13 of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. During the memorial service, family and friends shared stories about Robin’s love of seafood, social activism and African-American music. Religion professor William Reader recalled driving through a terrible snowstorm so Robin could treat him to a wild boar dinner served at a restaurant in Cadillac. He also described watching Robin retrieve giant lobsters from a tank at a fish market in Boston. “He cooked them in the biggest pot I’ve ever seen used on a kitchen stove,” said Reader. “To eat these creatures you needed safe-crackers’ tools, but that was no issue for Robin. He wanted us to eat lobster. Seafood was important to him.” Religion professor Merlyn Mowrey described his deep admiration for African-American music and how it altered his view of the world around him. “He became suspicious of what counted as ‘common knowledge’ and interested in anyone with an alternative to the ‘prevailing wisdom’ of the day. From their points of view he developed his critique of culture, and by trying to identify with their experiences, he expanded his sense of himself in unexpected and creative directions,” said Mowrey. Former student Kristen Ulmanis, ’05, admired his teaching style and his ability to take students on a cultural journey through the books, photographs and music he shared with them. “Robin tirelessly played us song after song, showering us with details as to where each song was recorded, who wrote it, and who produced it, as well as anecdotes surrounding the song,” said Ulmanis. “All of this, you understand, without the use of a single lecture note. He would approach the chalkboard and cover it with names, dates, song titles and performers without ever returning to the podium. I hadn’t witnessed anything like it before nor have I since.” Hough began teaching at CMU in 1983. He was an expert on race and religion in America and had special interests in goddess-oriented religions, Afro-Caribbean religion, world mythology and feminism. He also was an expert on African American music and had accumulated one of the world’s best collections of blues and gospel recordings from the period of 1920 to 1940.
Weinstock receives Provost's Award
English professor Jeffrey Weinstock has received CMU’s most prestigious award for outstanding research and creative activity. Weinstock won the 2006 Provost’s Award, which honors the accomplishments of junior faculty members. He received $1,200 for professional development and will have his name listed on a permanent plaque that hangs in Park Library. He specializes in 19th-century American literature and culture with a particular interest in ghosts. He recently wrote “Scare Tactics,” a book manuscript focused on supernatural fiction written by women beginning in the 19th century. In total, he has published four books, 13 book chapters, 17 journal articles and seven book reviews. He also has made 32 conference presentations. Each year a 12-person committee chaired by the associate dean of the College of Graduate Studies selects two recipients for both the Provost’s Award and the President’s Award, which honors senior faculty members. Weinstock received his award during CMU’s Faculty Excellence Exhibition in March. Steffel named 'excellent' teacher
The winners were announced at the Faculty Excellence Exhibition in March, and the faculty members were honored at commencement ceremonies in May. Steffel was honored for her superior teaching methods, effectiveness in conveying subject matter, and respect and care she shows for her current and former students. One of her nominators said, “There is no better teacher than the one who enables her students and starts them on a path of continuing education and lifelong learning; this is precisely what she does for her students.” Another said, “She was very effective in conveying the subject matter. She used varied approaches during class to keep us interested, and her enthusiasm for the material was contagious.” A committee of nine faculty members and five students selected the winners based on student evaluation scores and letters from CMU alumni, faculty and staff. Reader receives CHSBS teaching award CHSBS dean E. Gary Shapiro made a surprise visit to philosophy and religion professor William Reader’s classroom in April to present him with the second annual CHSBS Excellence in Teaching Award. “The committee selected Bill Reader as the winner because of his expertise in his field and his teaching skills, which are strong not only as reflected by high SOS scores, but also by the high expectations he has of his students,” said Shapiro. Reader, who began teaching at CMU in 1976, teaches Biblical classes on the Old Testament and New Testament and has taught World Religions, Classical Greek, the History of Religion, Biblical Hebrew, Advanced Composition, and Near Eastern and Mediterranean World history. He is considered an authority on the Greek language from ancient to modern times. “It is important to show students that there are multiple ways to view the world,” said Reader. “I try to whet their interest with books and stories about how the languages and cultures of the ancient Greeks, Romans, Jews, and Christians have affected our present day concepts and institutions.” The CHSBS award recognizes faculty who go above and beyond what is expected in creating learning experiences for students. Winners are selected by a committee of representatives from each department and receive $500 for professional development.
Professor William Reader (left) accepts the CHSBS Excellence in Teaching award from CHSBS dean E. Gary Shapiro in April. Dunbar named 'distinguished' scholar
Neuroscience professor Gary Dunbar (far right) received CMU’s 2006 Faculty Distinguished Service Award. CMU has recognized psychology professor Gary Dunbar for his outstanding service to CMU and the field of neuroscience by awarding him with the 2006 Faculty Distinguished Service Award. Dunbar, who also serves as the John G. Kulhavi Endowed Professor in Neuroscience, has helped build CMU’s neuroscience program from just two neuroscience-related courses to a strong undergraduate, interdisciplinary neuroscience major. Dunbar and his colleagues are researching neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s in CMU’s state-of-the-art BRAIN Center, located in the Health Professions Building. The award selection committee considers the impact, quality and amount of service performed, internal and external recognition for that service, as well as the long-term value of the service to the organization for which it was performed. The provost-appointed committee selects up to two members of the university faculty to receive the award. Nominations are solicited and may be submitted by faculty, staff or students. Women's Studies names new director Tara Saathoff-Wells, assistant professor of human development and family studies, has accepted the position of director of the Women’s Studies Program for 2006 through 2009. Saathoff-Wells began teaching at CMU in 2000. Her courses have included Lifespan Development, Infant Development, Family Development in Early and Middle Adulthood, Family in Cultural Perspective, and Work and Family: Conflict, Management, and Integration. CHSBS faculty honored at book recognition event
CMU honored faculty and staff who had written, edited, translated or illustrated books published during the previous year at the second annual Book Recognition Event on April 6. Faculty recognized at the event included (from left) Carol McGinnis, Frank Boles, Mitchell Hall (HST), John Robertson (HST), Claudia Douglass, Larry Tifft (SASW), John Palen, Guy Meiss, Alice Tait, Katherine Rosier (SASW), Randall Doyle (HST), David Kinney (SASW) and Ari Berk (ENG). |
There’s
no course at CMU called “Goblins 101,” but if there were,
English professor Ari Berk would teach it. Berk is the
author of the 2004 book “Goblins!,” in which he offers a
humorous folkloric explanation for the botch-ups and
frustrations of everyday life.
Students,
former students, faculty and staff gathered at CMU in February
to pay tribute to their colleague, mentor and friend Robert
“Robin” Hough.
English
professor Susan Steffel won CMU’s top teaching award, the
Excellence in Teaching Award.
