"[T]he joys of God
Are fervent with life where life itself
Fades quickly into the earth."
--"The Seafarer"
I have taught English, in some form or fashion, for more than thirty years now, 27 of those years at the same high school. However, I would not say teaching was my calling--at least not early in life. I focused on Math and Science in high school and matriculated to Arizona State University in 1983 as a Pre-Med, Chemistry major. I studied Calculus, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology, Microbiology, Anatomy--the works. My Junior year, however, I experienced a bit of a revelation when I took my first real Literature class. It was a truly eye-opening experience. Although I had always been an avid reader, I had never really and truly READ a book with a purpose, treating at as a work of Art that had meaning and importance until Dr. Jay Boyer's Introduction to Literature class. It changed my life; I changed my Major. I completed my Bachelor's and then went straight into my Master's program, primarily because I now suddenly knew how little I actually knew. I meant to fill in some significant gaps in my knowledge.
So, I completed my Master's in 1990 (Master's Thesis: "'From Justice Her Most Equal Balance:' Not-Reading The Duchess of Malfi and Measure for Measure") and pondered pursuing a Doctorate focusing on the Italian influences that helped shape Shakespeare's works. In order to do so successfully, I would need to learn Italian. So, I moved to Italy. I had a bag of clothes, a bicycle, a guitar and a one-way ticket--off I went for one of the most momentous years in my life. I arrived speaking nary a word of Italian but learned quickly. I taught conversational English to adults at l'Istituto Professionale Regionale in Aosta (see picture above); I also tutored a group of deaf Itialians as well as college students and anyone else in the Valley who wanted to learn English (I was one of three native English speakers in the entire town--everyone knew everyone!). I also skied, mountain biked, hiked, and rock climbed; I learned to cook some interesting and delicious food; I worked as an espresso barista (Irony!) and translator for a campground at the base of Mt. Blanc. I returned exactly 53 weeks after I had left, speaking Italian, having abandoned the idea of a Doctorate, but ready for the next adventure.
I got engaged to the love of my life (Leticia Chavarin Ruiz) three months after I returned home; we married five months after that. A year later I got my first real job and kept that job for 27 years. I taught English at Mountain Pointe High School in Ahwatukee and eventually became the Department Chairman. I also coached the JV Boys Soccer team for 18 years. Along the way, my wife and I adopted three wonderful children who are at once amazing humans and also responsible for every grey hair I possess. As the children grew they developed interests in various activities such as music, art, soccer, and horseback riding. This last was a game changer because, after eight years of taking my daughter to a friend's house in Buckeye for riding lessons, we decided to move to Queen Creek, get our own horses, and ride whenever we darn well pleased. So, we did. And, here we are. I retired from Mountain Pointe, worked a year at (ahem) ALA, and now am fortunate to be able to call Ben Franklin my home away from home.
I feel truly blessed to be here and I am looking forward to diving deeply into some of the best Literature in Western Civilization.
DM
NB: If you are wondering about the epigraph at the top, it comes from "The Seafarer," an Anglo-Saxon poem from around the 10th C. AD. It is a complex and moving poem with many themes, but one that stands out is the tension between seeking safety and seeking joy. The poet speaks of going out to sea--alone--in the winter--in a storm--at night! A truly perilous, painful, and perhaps foolhardy journey (if taken literally), but a journey that yields incredible joy and love for life precisely because it could all end any second. The poet feels most alive when he is closest to death. Over the past several years, I have come to appreciate the theme of this poem more and more.