Alumni Profile: Chris Burke (’10)

A large number of English majors from the class of 2010 are due to arrive in Northfield soon for their five year reunion. The Miscellany plans to catch up with some of them over the next couple of weeks. First up, Zoe Borden (’15) talks to Chris Burke (’10).

1) What are you up to right now? Professionally, but also more holistically?

I work for a minor-league soccer team in Eugene, Oregon, called Lane United FC, and also do freelance writing with several different businesses and individuals. On the personal side, I walk as much as possible: in 2011 I hiked most of the Appalachian Trail. Then in 2013 I hiked all of the Pacific Crest Trail, following in the footsteps of my great hero Cheryl Strayed. Then in 2014 I hiked the rest of the Appalachian. Now I’m looking to hike … wait, that’s question 3! Hold the phone.

2) What do you think have been the biggest changes in your life in the past five years?  And how has the English major influenced (or not) your career development?

Erm … the biggest change was definitely breaking up with a Carleton girl that I’d more or less been married to since 2008, for whom I had moved to Oregon in the first place. Does that count? I may not be understanding this question’s intent properly. And the second part assumes that I’ve had “career development.” Ha! I’m still in a constant state of the sand shifting under my feet. Hard to say, hard to say.

3) What are some of your goals, both personally and professionally, for the the next five years?

Professional and personal aren’t mutually exclusive. But for the sake of the question … Professionally I want to parlay my writing into something kind of like a career. A year ago I wouldn’t have been self-aware enough to see that it’s my strongest and most valuable skill, and the one I enjoy exercising the most. Now I’m throwing everything into/behind it. Personally? I want to thru-hike the Continental Divide Trail, the longest and hardest of the three major National Scenic Trails. Myla Fay (Carleton ’11) has already done it and gotten to write on Jezebel about it, the little brat. But I’ll be next.

4) What advice do you have for this years’ graduates given your experiences these past five years?

Meet people and be your smart, thoughtful, Carleton-y self around them. It rubs off well. You never know when the guy you drink beer with after your indoor soccer matches is going to have a fiancee who will introduce you to the most rewarding employment opportunity of your life, all because you seemed like a smart and capable person. That sort of thing. Seemingly informal and chance connections can have more of an effect on anything than a powerhouse resume might. Also, more generally: if/when you don’t have to be working, do shit that you think is awesome and do it just for you. Be selfish like that.

5) What is one memory or class or professor that has stood out to you from your time with the english department at Carleton?

Well, it’s hard to separate memories of Arnab from the fact that he is STILL posting 5-10 statuses a day on Facebook, and I’m still for some reason reading them. It’s like, “That time that I heard him tell some story about his rutabaga harvest that somehow segued into a wisecrack about Mr. Collins from Pride & Prejudice … was that five years ago in class, or was it last week on Facebook?” Anywho. An actual memory that I know is from Carleton: being assigned by Pierre Hecker to write a sonnet for extra credit on the final exam of English Lit I and spending more time on producing 14 lines of witty, tortured, bluntly sexual paean to a classmate’s mother than on actually studying for the exam. And then getting a B- on it or something. As Tom Lehrer would say … oh bright college days.