Susan was chair of the English Department when I arrived in 2007 and remained chair until I got tenure. As anyone who knew her would also describe her, she had a million ways of laughing. She had a giggle that sometimes came out her nose, her smirk was fierce, and no matter where she was she was looking for a belly laugh. I was lucky to have her as my chair the entire time I was working towards tenure because she was also frank, honest, generous, and, most importantly, able to negotiate the bureaucracies, tensions, conflicts, and politics of academia with grace and humor. She knew how to keep these aspects of professional life in perspective and how to laugh at them to put them in their place.
I was lucky that she befriended me when I moved to Michigan because I was alone. I had no friends in Michigan, and I didn’t come with a partner. She and another colleague, Gladys Cardiff, offered me their friendship and they became my mentors. I couldn’t have asked for better ones. What I feel now are the memories of immense warmth, compassion, and strength of individuality. I’m grateful she was my friend and though there are many things about her I would love to share, I’ll cut to the chase.
...continued....
Another Susan Tale
told by Andrea Knutson