An English major's secrets for success

I have been able to teach students to read the great writing of human civilization, and have watched as students discovered their strength as learners. I have dealt with students, parents, and faculty at the extremes of emotional distress and legal redress. I have hired new faculty and watched them blossom.

I have also helped to devise new curricula to meet the needs of today's students. And I have taught at the college level in many variations: all-male classes at Boston College, all-female classes at Gibbs, and mixed classes of musicians, dancers, and music-theater majors at the Boston Conservatory of Music.

One prepares best for any management position by learning to read, write, and think clearly and quickly. The English major is perfect for this task.

The English major, with its attendant history, philosophy, and esthetics, prepares one to think critically, write clearly, and understand day-to-day operations in adult life. The English major teaches what must be done seriously (everything) and what must be taken seriously (almost nothing except people).

My work day may include a publication deadline, student problems, faculty and staff issues, a multitude of e-mail and voicemail messages, too many meetings, and decisions that have to be made quickly, often without all of the information available. How does reading Chaucer, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Margaret Atwood help? Do I think about Dante or Dostoevsky on a daily basis?

No, but I have learned about human nature from literature, and I learned about Iago before I had to make a personnel decision about him.

Reading has enabled me to reflect on the depth and heights of humanity without having experienced all of the evils and graces. In my reading, I have met more situations than I have met in reality, and I have learned from my reading. Having read difficult literature and philosophy and finally understood it, means I now find that I can read almost anything quickly and present a synopsis and evaluation.

Much has been written about studying subjects that will provide one with a living. When thinking about a possible major, young people often think in terms of the current "hot" field.

Perhaps a better idea would be to eschew a "growth area" or "plastics" and do what Mortimer Adler suggested: "Follow your bliss."

I do not attend parties with the likes of John Updike or spend my days advancing human knowledge. I do not spend my time creating works that will live beyond my brief span or even until the next academic year.

However, by "following my bliss" and studying literature, I prepared myself to make a living and live a full life. My study of literature has provided me with continuous joy and the ability to do just about anything.

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