Faculty Focus

Great idea, whoever started this. I remember my 13 years of teaching at Live Oak with great fondness. With the help of many, many students and wonderful colleagues, I learned how to teach there. I am incredibly grateful for that experience. I returned to get my PhD at the Univ. of California, San Diego in 1991. I then taught at the University of Nebraska, Omaha for nine years before accepting a position at Louisiana State University, where I now teach and direct the firstyear writing program. Sarah and I have been married for thirty years. Our daughter, Heather, is now in graduate school at Yale--she is working on her Ph.D. in Rainforest Ecology. Her speciality is bats. She spends her research time catching bats in rainforests. Her previous projects have been in Surinam and French Guiana. Her current one is in Panama. Our son, Jesse, is now an engineer in Kansas City.  
 
I have had and continue to have a very rich life as a writing teacher. I first learned about the possibilities of this kind of life at Live Oak. Where are all the rest of you from the years of the 70s??? Cindy, Carol, Harry, John, John 2, donna dave, dave, bobbie, george, aaron(well, ive heard from you), the names go on, deep, deep, i my memories & i still have so many stories & essays from my students. rich stuff. I will always remember Starla and "The Dreaded French Kiss." What a delight to have been at live oak.  
 
My research involves social class, education, and writing. my concern is how do educators unknowingly reproduce the dominant social structure through literacy instruction. we are taught that writing and language skills are neutral. they ain't.  
 
Best to you all--  
irvin peckham  
Baton Rouge LA