Faculty authors praised for written work

Four members of the DePaul faculty were recognized for their written work outside of the classroom in The Chicago Tribune's review of favorite local publications in 2011.

English professor Hannah Pittard was applauded for her novel "The Fates Will Find Their Way;" dramaturgy and dramatic criticism professor Rachel Shteir for "The Steal: A Cultural History of Shoplifting;" English professor Rebecca Johns Trissler for "The Countess: A Novel of Elizabeth Bathory;" and Gioia Diliberto, a visiting professor in the English department's graduate program, for "Paris Without End: The True Story of Hemingway's First Wife."

All of the works were published in 2010 and 2011. "Paris Without End," however, is a republication of a novel Diliberto wrote in 1992 entitled, "Hadley."

This is also not any of the women's first time in the writing spotlight. Shteir, Johns and Diliberto have written and published other books in the past, and Pittard has written for various publications and works for Narrative Magazine.

Despite the authors' recognition in the written world, teaching is still crucial to their lives. To them, balancing the two is challenging but rewarding. According to Shteir, it's something to be done "with delicacy."

"It does require a lot of concentration," she said, adding, "Not a lot of writers write without teaching."

"The day-to-day things have to take priority," Johns added. "[Writing] has to take a backseat sometimes."

Pittard also said she balances her writing with more than just teaching—it needs to coordinate with life as a whole.

"If I'm in the mood to procrastinate, I can find just about anything else to do—laundry, dishes, dog walks, a few hours at the gym," Pittard said. "But I think most writers understand that, ultimately, you just have to make yourself sit down and do it."

Diliberto, on the other hand, is relatively new to teaching. She has done some in the past, but decided it was time for her to involve herself on a deeper level. She is looking forward to teaching graduate level Magazine Editing in the spring quarter.

"I'm going to be very curious to see how it impacts my writing," she said.

Additionally, she enjoys the college age group and believes, because writing is so isolated, that teaching will be "healthy and stimulating" for her.

"They're in touch with the zeitgeist in a way older people aren't," Diliberto added.

When they are in the classroom, the authors find different ways to combine their two passions so they benefit themselves and students. Shteir said she often works out ideas for writing while she's teaching, while Johns said she draws on the lessons she's learned to better help her students.

Pittard added an even deeper meaning to the relationship between writing and teaching.

"Writing isn't easy, but, for me, it's essential," Pittard explained. "I suppose it's my duty to communicate that essentialness to my students. We shouldn't be writing just to write.