Literary studies might seem a somewhat surprising place for the teaching of vocation. After all, students tend to approach issues of vocation looking for answers—what should I do with my life?—and yet the close reading techniques privileged in literary studies often generate more questions than answers. Nevertheless, literary studies can in fact be a useful paradigm for thinking about vocation: close reading can encourage students to complicate easy narratives and to consider the complexities of their lives in fruitful rather than fearful ways. In this session, three professors of English will offer their experiences of integrating the perspective of vocation into their literary work with students. Workshop participants will work with texts and come away with approaches for helping students engage with complexity in meaningful ways, regardless of major.
Tom Perrin, Professor of English, Huntingdon College (AL)
Ben Utter, Assistant Professor of English, Ouachita Baptist University (AR)