Immortality — In the beginning of The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins answers a series of knocks on his round door. Each time he opens the door, a dwarf walks in, and soon there is quite an assemblage of them. After gathering in Bilbo’s home, they talk of treasured memories and future plans, and then they set about the more serious business of preparing for the immediate challenges that await them. I was reminded of this scene last Saturday. Around 1:00 in the afternoon, I started answering series of knocks on the main door to the English Department. Each time I opened the door, a graduate student entered the lobby. Soon they formed a convivial party of six. They quickly began exchanging greetings and chatting amongst themselves, but they clearly shared a sense of purpose. They gathered together on Saint Valentine’s Day to celebrate and remember a beloved professor: a professor from whom they had all taken courses; a professor who had helped them appreciate the treasure of literature; a professor named Jim McGavran.
These six graduate students—Brook Blaylock, Yekaterina Dolmatova, Beth Greene, Lisa K. McAlister, Joye T. Palmer, and Breanne Weber—all agreed to participate in the upcoming “Celebration of the Life of James McGavran.” As part of this event, they will give an oral reading of William Wordsworth’s “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood.” They spent much but not all of Saturday afternoon in the Conference Room diligently rehearsing their performance. From my office, I could hear them reading Wordsworth’s poem, but I could also hear them sharing stories about Jim’s courses and laughing at amusing things that Jim did in class. After a few hours, they 
informed me that they were ready to recite the poem. I joined them in the Conference Room, and they proceeded to amaze me with their professional and passionate presentation.
After the graduate students left, I sat in my office and reflected on the notion of immortality. Wordsworth’s poem revolves around this theme, but I found myself thinking about Jim’s enduring spirit. The experience of spending an afternoon with Jim’s students helped me realize that his wisdom, his passion for the British Romantics, and his love of poetry and nature writing live on through his students. As a result of Jim’s deep commitment to teaching, he achieved his own form of immortality. Such is Jim’s legacy.
Kudos— As you know, I like to use my Monday Missives to share news about recent accomplishments by members of our department. Here is the latest news:
JuliAnna Ávila will journey to Middlebury College on February 24 to speak at a workshop for faculty and students about the changing nature of academic English.
Chris Davis recently had two poems published in an anthology titled Words Without Walls: Writers on Addiction, Violence, and Incarceration (Trinity University Press). He also had a poem titled “Along the Crimes Against Nature Trail, Look,” accepted by Exit 7, a journal published in Kentucky.
Janaka Lewis participated in the panel discussion of “Living Thinkers: An Autobiography of Black Women in the Ivory Tower” for the Center for Graduate Life on Feb. 12. The event was coordinated by English Literature Master’s Student and Graduate Life Fellow Kristen Reynolds. Also, Janaka will read her poem “New Southern Blues” from 27 Views of Charlotte on Wednesday, February 18, at 6 pm at North County Regional Library, Huntersville.
Upcoming Events and Deadlines— Here are some dates to keep in mind:
February 18 — Historian Lawrence Friedman will deliver a lecture titled “Inconvenient Visionaries: Crafting World Peace” on Wednesday, February 18, from 4:00 to 5:30 in Fretwell 290B. This lecture is sponsored by the American Studies Program.
February 20 — “A Celebration of Jim McGavran” will take place on Friday, February 20, from 2:00-4:30 in the Rowe Recital Hall (Rowe 140). The official program will begin at 2:30 to be followed by a reception in the main lobby of Rowe.
February 27 — Mid-term grades are due by noon on Friday, February 27.
Quirky Quiz Question — While William Wordsworth was composing “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood,” he was in frequent contact with another Romantic poet with whom he shared a close friendship. What is the name of this other Romantic poet?
Last week’s answer: The Carolina Israelite