Robert Parker
Why did you choose Northwestern?
I taught English and coached basketball at New Trier High School (Winnetka) for six years: 1960-1966. I had two pre-school children. I liked Northwestern University. I could major in English and English Education.
How would you describe your research and/or work to a non-academic audience? What was it then and/or what it is now?
University of Chicago, Rutgers University (20 years), and University of La Verne. Assistant to Full Professor. I had nine or ten jobs in between. Head Start (Reno), Nevada Department of Education (Reno), Truckee Meadows CC (Reno), Western Nevada CC (Reno), Director/Principal, Lake Forest School (Tahoe City), Clark County School District (Las Vegas), Delphi Research Associates (Las Vegas), Sierra Nevada College (Las Vegas), and others.
Tell us who or what inspired your research and/or work.
Reading <--> Journaling <--> Writing (1962: I was the first to figure this one out.) I was the first white teacher who got the idea to bring 20 students from Marshall High School to NTHS for a week (1964). I was one of the first anti-racists to make a public commitment to equality. I am a writer and writing teacher. All my life. I was the first one to go to England and participate in the Writing Across The Curriculum Project. Many further inspirations.
What are you most proud of in your career to date?
I am most proud of the books I have published. Five before the stroke; four after the strokes. That's right: I had two strokes in one day in late 2009. I'm now writing seven days per week. Check them out: robertprescottparker.com.
Tell us about a current achievement or something you're working on that excites you.
1) Poems, diverse, and honest.
2) Two Weeks In England. Prose book. I'm ready to send it to a publishing house. We'll see what they say.
3) Passing Through. Six writers. All different. One haiku. One sketch. Etc.
4) A story that aims for American Heroes in the American Stroke Association.
What advice would you give your younger self or someone considering a similar path?
Just keep writing. Even though there's nothing to say. Tomorrow there will be something to say. A squib or a squinch. Build on it. Change it. Restructure it. Lengthen it. Delete part of it. Delete all of it. Keep going on the plan. Always.