On the Verge: On the Verge (OTV) is a collaborative venture founded in 1993 by faculty members in English and Theatre Arts. OTV provides opportunities for students of dramatic literature to see and participate in staged readings of the plays they are studying in class. I was a regular participant, especially in the Irish drama, including: John Millington Synge, The Playboy of the Western World ; Martin McDonagh, The Cripple of Inishmann; Brian Friel, Philadelphia, Here I Come!; Brian Friel, Dancing at Lughnasa ; Tom Stoppard, Arcadia; Anton Chekhov, The Cherry Orchard; and Heidi Schreck, Grand Concourse.
Peace Corps: During graduate school, I took a two-year break to teach English as a Second Language at Seoul National University in Korea. During summers I did malaria case detection with the World Health Organization in the rural provinces. Both experiences solidified my commitment to the teaching of English.
Of Poetry, Professors, and Soldiers: This letter from a student ten years after he took my classes underscores for me the unexpected influence and significance a class can have.