I came across the book Stoner (1965) by John Williams at the beginning of the year. It is a story about the life of the fictional character William Stoner from middle America who goes from a farming town to becoming a lecturer at the University of Missouri. The book goes into the details of his life from being a young boy through to old age. It is written in a very matter of fact manner which is part of the reason it resonated with me. This comes through as a piece of text that is honest at depicting the happy points in life (finding your passion) and sad points (being in an unloving marriage).
In his forty-third year William Stoner learned what others, much younger, had learned before him: that the person one loves at first is not the person one loves at last, and that love is not an end but a process through which one person attempts to know another.”
Being that a large portion of the book is about Stoner’s career as a teacher at a university, I couldn’t help but compare my experience with his. Stoner fell into academia through a love for literature and working at a university was the next logical step for him. Similarly, I was introduced to teaching when I was working in New York at a design agency, one of my colleagues mentioned that I should think about teaching. I was offered the opportunity to teach BA Graphic Design at Rutgers University, I didn’t have many expectations at the time, but my experience there highlighted to me how I could use my experience as a graphic designer to help creative people to develop technical and conceptual skills. I also found it to be challenging as it was not something I had a lot of experience in.
William Stoner had a lot of frustration throughout his teaching career with his colleagues holding him back from progressing. I feel lucky that I work amongst a group of understanding and sensitive people who want the best for me. Ultimately, what Stoner is to me is a reflection of a lifes journey. He experienced many hardships and happy moments (as I’m sure I will), he didn’t always make the best decisions but he kept going in an almost stoic manner. He brought his life experiences into his teaching, we could say that teaching, living and learning all go hand in hand.
Hi Houman. I remember you mentioning this book along the PgCert way, and that drew me to read this post. What strikes me is your reflection on your teaching journey, and that you work with people who want the best for you. This is my experience at UAL too, and it is easier to acknowledge because of teaching in places where it certainly didn’t happen. I feel loved at UAL, which makes being a braver learner easier. And it reminds me of the quote you highlighted – ‘… that love is not an end but a process through which one person attempts to know another.’ I see that as the space we leave for other people to be who they are and to celebrate that. See you next term.