At the start of this year, Asbury gained a new English professor, Dr. Elizabeth Parker. Teaching Advanced College Writing, Literature and Culture and Traditional British Literature I, Parker has already made an impact on Asbury’s student body.
When asked about why she studied English, Parker said, “I was raised by two English teachers. Reading was a rich part of our lives. My father was an English professor who I had in college for classes like C.S. Lewis and 17th century literature.” She went to Mississippi College and graduated in 2002.
It was the studying of literature that led her closer to the Lord. She said, “In college, I had a kind of moment of realization that the whole arc of my loves and desires was bent towards story and language and poetry.”
Parker started teaching in 2003 and continued at the elementary, middle and high school grade level. “The thing that I love about teaching is that every day is a process of discovery and exploration. I end up learning so much in the classroom from my students. So I feel like I’m a lifelong learner with them,” she said about her experiences.
In 2014, Parker began to teach at Asbury as an adjunct while finishing her dissertation work. At the time, Asbury did not have a full time tenure track position open in the English Department so she continued to search for a position at a separate university. After the passing of Dr. Gobin last fall, that opening led to the opportunity for Parker, her husband and their daughter to return to Lexington.
Parker’s love for literature is evident to every student who has been in her class so far. A favorite book that she would recommend to students was Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina.” Parker said, “I found it in my 20s and it was an exploration of human relationships that I had never encountered before. If students want to know what happens in life when you make a bad decision, read “Anna Karenina.” It’s devastating, but in the best artistic way.” She also highly recommended “Brideshead Revisited” by Evelyn Waugh, saying, “He was a British Catholic writer and “Brideshead Revisited” totally changed the way I think about and understand grace.”
When asked about advice she would give to the students she teaches, Parker said, “Take whatever you can and multiply your experiences in the classroom and as much as possible. Try not to worry right now about the outcome. Do your best. Bring your best. Take it for the purpose of expanding your loves rather than for the purpose of acquiring knowledge.”
She also encourages non-English majors to take English classes. “If you are not an English major, that should not preclude you from taking classes that expand your horizon. I didn’t love opera until I started going to opera. You cannot know what you will love unless you are willing to take a risk.” Parker is excited for the year to come and be able to create deeper relationships within Asbury’s campus.
Photo courtesy of Jeremy Simmons.
