one of these things is not like the others - bolster

One of These Things is Not Like the Others: The Writer in the University INTRODUCTION Given that as a poet I’m most at ease in the lyric mode, I’ve decided to approach the position of “the writer in the university” through the first person, connecting my own experience to the larger context. I’ll discuss the career trajectory that brought me to Concordia’s English Department as a creative writing professor, the challenges I faced on arriving in the university environment, and those I continue to face as a writer who teaches. I’ll conclude by discussing my reasons for remaining committed to this intellectually and creatively sustaining life. IMPOSTER SYNDROME That my first response on being asked to speak to you today was uncertainty and anxiety gave rise to the title of my talk: “one of these things is not like the others.” Having participated in only one academic conference – the others were gatherings of writers and teachers of writing – I must confess to never having attended a keynote talk. This is, I realize, something of an unusual admission for a university professor; that I didn’t know what would be expected of me in this role attests to the gulf between me and my 1 colleagues who teach in the literature stream, between writers and academics. I assumed that such a role required authority and assertion, yet as a poet and even as a teacher, my natural bent is to question. My anxiety recalls Alice Munro’s famous book title Who Do You ...