Name: Brian Sutton
Position at UWGB: Associate Professor, Humanistic Studies; Director of English Composition and the Writing Center
Summary of what you do: Besides teaching, I direct the English Comp program and the Writing Center.
How long have you been employed: At UWGB, 25 years. As a college teacher, 39 years. How long since my first job, over 50 years.
Brief history of employment with UWGB: I came here in 1992, and I’ve been Director of English Comp and of the Writing Center since 1993, other than a two-year hiatus to be Chair of Humanistic Studies almost 15 years ago. I was also Chair of English for a while somewhere in there.
Three words that describe you: Grumpy old man.
Personal interests: My grandkids, writing, music (mostly guitar, some piano, songwriting), reading, travel
– Are you messy or organized? Messy, but my new office allows me to appear organized for the time being.
– Best vacation you’ve been to? Probably staying with friends in Montsalier, a village of about 100 in southwestern France (Provence)
– Describe what you were like at age 10. Much younger
– Do you have a favorite newspaper, blog? New York Times. But I probably read the Green Bay Press-Gazette more regularly.
– Do you have a favorite quote? “There’s no perfect time to write. There’s only now.” Barbara Kingsolver
– Do you have an office nickname? What is it? If I do, I don’t know it.
– Do you recall any embarrassing moment at work? Yes.
– Favorite travel spot? Provence. Paris is also very nice.
– If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see cast as you? Dunno. Who plays nerds these days?
– If you could interview one person (dead or alive) who would it be? Jesus, because maybe then I could know for sure
– If you could witness any historical event, what would you want to see? The resurrection, if it did in fact take place
– If you were to write a self-help book, what would the topic be? How to play fingerstyle guitar.
– If your house was burning down, what’s the one non-living thing you would save? My best guitar, which is a Martin HD-28.
– People would be surprised if they knew: A lot of people do know this, but I assume they were surprised to discover that I could write an entire musical (book, music, and lyrics) that could succeed on 42nd Street in NYC and get a good review in the NY Times and favorable coverage in the Wall Street Journal
– Top 3 life highlights? = 1. Marriage, births of my kids & grandkids 2. Successful professional production on 42nd Street, NYC, of Searching for Romeo 3. Three Hopwood Awards for creative writing when I was in college
– What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most? Working with the other English Comp teachers
– What book did you read last? The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
– What celebrity do people think you look like? Bill Maher
– What did you want to be when growing up? A writer
– What do you like to do in your spare time? Play guitar and piano, write, see my grandkids
– What is your favorite movie and book? Book—The Great Gatsby
– What is your favorite sport? Tennis
– What places have you lived in? Dayton, OH; Muncie, IN; Hillsdale, MI; Ann Arbor, MI; Cass City, MI; Dexter, MI; Vernal, UT; Denver, CO; Irvington, NY; Springfield, MO; Chattanooga, TN; Green Bay, WI; Brooklyn, NY
– What was your favorite book, toy, or outfit as a child? Book—The Secret Garden