“ Clinging to JESUS Through MARY”
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: DR. MARK LATKOVIC
Who is Dr. Mark Latkovic?
I’ m still trying to figure that out. I’ m a husband, father, and now a grandfather of a little girl, Genevieve. That’ s a big part of my life. In terms of my professional life, I’ m a moral theologian, a teacher, speaker, writer— all those things. In terms of my hobbies, I like working out— I used to like playing basketball, but I can’ t really do that anymore. I walk about five miles a day. I’ ll walk in the neighborhood, but it’ s not just a waste of time. I’ m praying, I’ m writing, I’ m thinking. Whether it’ s scholarly papers or shorter reflection pieces or the poetry I write, I usually
collect ideas when I’ m out walking. I really like walking. Walking just keeps me out of trouble, you know?
You are also an avid blogger. Many of your recent blog posts have been poetry. When did you start writing poetry and why?
I used to do it in my later teenage years. I worked in a paint factory. My dad was a chemist and he got me the job. It was a summer job that I started in the summer of 1980, and it went through the summer of 1986. I think I started writing poetry then, just as a way to keep my sanity.
I was working on a paint line. We would bale the cans and box them, and then I would work on the paint platform, making paint with my dad’ s formulas. I started then writing poetry, song lyrics, and I would write them on the back of paint can labels. I would write at lunch break or break time.
Then I stopped for a long time, while I was in college and graduate school, marriage, kids. Probably the last eight to ten years, I’ ve really picked it up again. I’ m more serious about it now, even though I would just be considered an amateur. Writing poetry is not something I con-
28 Sacred Heart Major Seminary | Mosaic | Spring 2018