A Tribute to Mike Kowalewski | Senior Spotlight | Comps Illuminated: Advice
A Tribute To Mike Kowalewski
One of our dearest English professors, Mike Kowalewski, is retiring after this term. We’ve compiled a profile of his achievements and experiences over 35 years with the Carleton English Department!
Let us take you back in time to the 90s when English was one of the most popular majors on campus. Onto the scene comes hotshot English professor Mike Kowalewski, fresh from a five-year stint at Princeton.
Back then the Carleton English department was a full three floors with up to 45 students per class! Professors were loaded up with six courses per year as opposed to today’s five. In this pre-Pierre world, Intro to Shakespeare was taught by multiple professors and Methods was taught by just about everyone.
As the years and the Carleton English department progressed, there was a notable shift from a more historically focused curriculum to allow contemporary literature to take the stage. But Mike never fully forgot his historical roots, teaching literature from the early 19th century all the way into that of the modern day.
Professor Mike has always been a fan of Americana fiction, having written his dissertation on 19th and 20th century Americana authors. His love of americana has been reflected over the years in his curriculum, including standouts such as Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, O’Connor, Kerouac, and many, many more.
Some especially notable classes Professor Kowalewski has taught over the years are Spirit of Place and American Nature Writing, which included texts from early French-American naturalist John James Audubon and of course the Transcendentalists. As creative writing was a relatively fresh and new concept for the department (insane, we know), he allowed students to write their own pieces on nature as well.
We’d be remiss to not mention the legendary Visions of California OCS program, created by Kowalewski in ‘95. Students would travel up and down the state meeting with up to 30 guest speakers within the ten week program.
It’s apparent that Mike still has a soft spot for California as he has published a compilation of writings from the California gold rush, a truly one-of-a-kind collection that has sold over 17,000 copies over the years and which he hopes to get back into publication soon, so readers, look out for that.
Speaking of upcoming projects Mike is looking forward to in retirement, he is currently compiling a collection of some of the best student writings from Carleton’s very own (now defunct) Miscellany, something we as spiritual progeny here at the 2LM appreciate greatly and are very excited for.
Mike will be splitting his time in retirement between Northfield and his beloved California, so football fans fret not! Mike still plans on announcing Carleton football games every fall term and will attend many Carleton events in the future, so keep a look out and say hello!
We here at the 2LM are undyingly grateful for the contributions and legacy that Mike Kowalewski is leaving for the English department. Thank you Professor Mike and we hope to see much more from you in the future!
—Your loving Second Laird Miscellany Editors
Senior Spotlight: Luna Schindler-Payne and Camilla Smith-Donald
What are your current post-graduation aspirations?
L: To work for a few years as a paralegal and then to become an immigration attorney (to support our communities, obviously not to join ICE).
C: I’ll be working at Epic Systems in Madison, where I hope to make some new friends, explore a new city, and learn to cook decently well.
What was your favorite class you ever took?
L: Women and War in the Middle East!! It’s a POSC class with Summer Forester! Take it!!!
C: Every creative writing class I’ve taken. My other favorite English class would be Cruel Summer, 1816. Favorite non-Laird classes are probably Genetics and Invented Languages.
What advice would you give to future creative writing minors?
L: Have fun with what you write and be loyal to your creative vision!
C: Have fun, write creatively, and be creative in your writing. Also, always start your pieces earlier than you think you have to. Maybe go to London (on the OCS). It’s a lot of fun.
Favorite book of all time?
L: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong.
C: I’m not sure I can say anything is my favorite of all time, but I do really love The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab.
What’s your most “creative writing minor” trait?
L: I am afraid of math and money 🙁
C: I take creative writing classes to force myself to make time for writing, something I supposedly love.
What’s your comps topic/thesis?
L: My comps is on the connections between gang violence and state violence in Latin America. It examines how the spread of crime policy is diffused across countries with different regimes.
C: I am a psychology major, and my comps compares a few current and possible in-school interventions to prevent drug use and addiction. You can find my poster in the hallway of Olin.
Comps Illuminated: A Look into the Comps Process
In preparation for the English Department Comps Symposium, we present to you the last installment of this column. This week we asked “What did you enjoy most about comps? What advice do you have for people who follow in your footsteps?”
Ambar says, “What I most enjoyed about the comps process was doing close readings of key passages in the novels. It was one of the few moments where I felt really smart throughout the process. The rest of the time it felt like I had no idea what I was doing. My advice to those doing research comps: The whole point of research is to sit with the unknown, don’t be scared that you don’t have all the answers from the start.”
Linnea says, “The most enjoyable part of the Comps process for me was getting to know the people in my group. I genuinely looked forward to seeing everyone each day and feel so great to have made new friends in this process! Advice for future colloquium comps-ers is definitely to make a really solid schedule in the fall for how you want things to look in the winter. This was a huge benefit for our group!”
Ryan says, “My favorite part was working in a workshop setting with the other creative writing compsers. Creative writing is more independent and that made it really fun and collaborative. Advice I would give is that if you can work on your comps over winter break, you should. I didn’t, and it made my term more stressful, so I wish I had taken that time to write some drafts. Remember: you can write whenever you want!”
Join us on 2nd Laird on Saturday from 9am-12pm for a celebration of seniors and their comps! Especially if you’re a (prospective) English major, this is a perfect way for you to get a glimpse into the comps process. Plus, you get to cheer on our lovely seniors while learning something new and munching on snacks.