I could go on for days about the fantastic presentations, creative faculty, and stimulating atmosphere at Faculty Academy, but instead I’m going to give a little love to my DTLT family, who put in an enormous amount of work and effort to make this event as spectacular as it was. My last day as a DTLT student aide was 17 days ago, but I still wake up every morning ready to head back to the office in Dupont. And then I realize that I’m not at UMW anymore. Graduation was easy; leaving my professors and co-workers behind was not.

I won’t get to walk into the office today and see Patrick waving from behind his desk, or Andy gushing over the latest Apple product.³ I won’t see Jim‘s feet next to the plastic bobblehead dolls on his desk as he reclines, eating chips and blogging his fifteenth daily post on the Bava. I won’t be able to make contentious statements about 80′s music to Jerry just to get into another debate, hear Martha nagging us about blog posts on Stuff for Starving Students, or plotting planning projects with Shannon.

Working at DTLT has been one of the most important experiences of my life. Looking forward to work, I’m told, is a pretty rare thing. I also know that a group of people as creative and brilliant as Jerry, Martha, Andy, Patrick, and Jim is hard to come by. I know the professors value them, and I sure hope the university does too. If UMW is smart, it’ll keep them forever.⁴ I wish I could keep them forever.

And, of course, no mention of DTLT would be complete without a shout-out to Gardner Campbell, who taught me about obsession and flow, invited me to all-night Milton readings, sang Beatles songs with me, introduced me to Errol Morris, and continues to inspire me all the way from Texas. I hope I’ll always be your student.

In conclusion, I really miss you all.

1. Front page photo courtesy of the amazing George Brett.
2. My new hero
3. I’m not making this up. Our ex-PC fanboy is completely reformed.
4. Perhaps even beyond the grave! Zombie DTLT could run Faculty Academy, right?

My mother is the kind of person who loves to memorize and recite poems, and introduced me to one of my most memorable childhood pleasures: cautionary poems by Hilaire Belloc. If you’re unfamiliar with Belloc’s work (if you were brought up outside the British Isles or after the early 1900′s, for example), then you’re in for a treat. A well-known author in his time, Belloc wrote numerous essays and historical texts, but I remember him for his fantastic, morally superior (and often vindictive) children’s poems.¹ With titles like “Rebecca, Who Slammed Doors For Fun And Perished Miserably”, Belloc’s poems are irresistible. They’ve delighted me for years², and they’ll probably delight you too. Even better, you can find out now! (Click to listen.)³

1. JIM, Who ran away from his Nurse, and was eaten by a Lion. ⁴
   
2. HENRY KING, Who chewed bits of string, and was early cut off in Dreadful agonies.
   
3. MATILDA, Who told Lies and was Burned to Death

(text only)

4. FRANKLIN HYDE, Who caroused in the Dirt and was corrected by His Uncle
5. GODOLPHIN HORNE, Who was cursed with the Sin of Pride, and, Became a Boot-black
   
6. ALGERNON, Who played with a Loaded Gun, and, on missing his Sister, was reprimanded by his Father.
   
7. HILDEBRAND, Who was frightened by a Passing Motor, and was brought to reason.
   
8. LORD LUNDY, Who was too Freely Moved to Tears, and thereby ruined his Political Career.
   
9. LORD LUNDY (Second Canto)
   
10. REBECCA, Who Slammed Doors For Fun And Perished Miserably
    
11. GEORGE, Who played with a Dangerous Toy, and suffered a Catastrophe of considerable Dimensions.
    
12. CHARLES AUGUSTUS FORTESCUE, Who Always Did what was Right, and so Accumulated an Immense Fortune
    

1. Illustrated by–who else–Edward Gorey.
2. I don’t know what this says about me, or about me as a child. Probably explains a lot.
3. Recordings courtesy of the wonderful Librivox.org.
4. Hey Reverend, this one’s for you.