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Jack MatthewsHe gave life to language I have so many good memories of (Distinguished Professor of English) Jack Matthews I feel overwhelmed trying to isolate any one of them. In class, he was by turns funny, profound, witty, silly, erudite. He was intoxicated by words, and intoxicating. I remember walking into a fiction writing class one day, my story in hand. At the beginning of class, Jack recited a poem, (Robert) Herrick's "Upon Julia's Clothes," pronouncing the words with such relish and delight that the story I had in my hands looked suddenly like the ill-conceived mishmash it was. But he never treated our stories with the disregard they sometimes deserved. He could almost always find what we had wanted to say, and he always inspired us to keep working, keep thinking, keep trying to say it. Currently, I'm the chair of the English Department at Western Oregon University, where I teach creative writing and American literature. Sometimes, even now, I'll say something in class and hear an echo from Jack. He was a phenomenal professor and a great mentor to me. Curt Yehnert, AB '81, MA '83 |