Publication History: Sharon Robideaux: The Examined Life

This is one of the couple of things I've had published that I am the least embarrassed about. The writing isn't terrible, but that's not what I'm talking about. The article I wrote for the Grand Valley State University magazine titled "Sharon Robideaux: The Examined Life" is one of my favorites because it was the right thing to do. Sharon Robideaux was one of my favorite writing professors that I ever studied with, but she wasn't a tenured faculty. When I wrote this piece, it was my intent to make a case that her Visiting Professor status should be renewed. The last sentence I wrote was, "Visiting Professor she may be, but for the sake of Grand Valley students, let's hope that her visit is extended indefinitely." When the article was published Professor Robideaux had already been let go from Grand Valley, so the article turned into my way of saying, "You did the wrong thing, Grand Valley. You should have renewed her contract."

I know it's either difficult or impossible to read the text on this file, but the original is accessible by simply clicking on the picture. If that is too small, then drop me a line and I can transcribe the file. Or don't read it. Depending on your interest.

Publication History: Instincts

I'm much less embarrassed by the short story titled "Instincts" that I've included in my publication history. Sure, the story itself was lacking a lot of character development and plot, but there were some cool ideas and riffs in it, and I've always liked the style in which I wrote it. People compared my writing to my favorite authors at the time, Chuck Palahniuk and Bret Easton Ellis, assuring me that they did not mean it as an insult.

Below is a scan of a "broadside" featuring a passage from "Instincts," and a diagram of dog anatomy. Broadsides like these were made by Jason Rederstorf in limited quantities and used to promote the fledgling Student Reading Series at Grand Valley State University. Another copy of this very broadside hung framed in the hallways of the GVSU writing department for a year or so. Since it was made public in such a way, I consider it a publication. Of course, by that standard, a child's elementary school finger painting could be considered published once it lines the walls of said elementary school, and I have no problem listing myself amongst the great artists of elementary schools across the nation.