Hope College | English

Jack Ridl

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RIDL, JACK, Professor Emeritus (1971-2006).
B.A., Westminster College (1967); M.Ed., Westminster College (1970).

Interests: Contemporary Poetry, Memoir, Poetics, Teaching of Poetry Writing.

Selected Works: The Same Ghost (1985); After School (1987); Be tween (1988); Poems from the Same Ghost and Between (1993) Broken Symmetry (2006); Co-author, Approaching Poetry: Perspectives and Responses (1997); Against Elegies (2001); Co-editor, 250 Poems: A Portable Anthology (2002), Literature: A Portable Anthology (2004), Approaching Literature in the 21st Century: Fiction, Poetry, Drama (2005); more than 200 poems in more than 75 literary magazines and anthologies.

Distinctions: Distinguished Alumnus Lifetime Achievement Award (Westminister College, 2005); Winner of the 2001 Letterpress Chapbook Competition sponsored by the Center for Book Arts of New York City; C.A.S.E. (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) Michigan Professor of the Year (1996); H.O.P.E. (Hope's Outstanding Professor-Educator) Award (1976).

Publications:

Outside the Center Ring (Pudding House Publications, 2006).
A chapbook of poems based on the author's childhood summers spent with the circus.

Broken Symmetry (Great Lakes Books, 2006).
A collection drawn from the experiences of daily life and organized through the context of mathematics. Poet Jack Ridl uses remarkably clear and precise language to express a singular awareness of the world around us. Some of the poems in this volume deal with the universal human experience of loss, others discover a fresh perspective on what is easily overlooked, and many seek the goodness and joy that remain in a challenging world. Poems are grouped into chapters by mathematical themes, suggesting a commonality in these two separate worlds that is often overlooked.

with Peter Schakel, Approaching Literature in the 21st Century: Fiction, Poetry, Drama (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005).
Approaching Literature is a textbook intended for second semester first-year writing courses or second-year introduction to literature courses with a writing emphasis. Its distinctive feature is its emphasis on cultural diversity: over two-thirds of the literary works included in it are by ethnic American writers or writers outside North America. It combines a fresh and accessible treatment of the literary elements of each genre with a wide-ranging collection of interesting, teachable stories, poems, and plays. It is supported by a LiterActive CD-ROM and electronic resources such as Virtual Interactive Tutorials and LitLinks, found on the Bedford/St. Martin’s web site.

with Peter Schakel, et al, editors, Literature: A Portable Anthology (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003). This compact anthology is designed for use by general readers and in high school and college introduction to literature classes. Chronologically arranged by genre to convey historical context, the collection opens with thirty-five stories from classic authors such as Poe and Faulkner and current writers such as Alice Walker and Sandra Cisneros. The fiction section is followed by 250 poems, featuring more than 200 poets (70 of them women). The poetry section includes many classic and frequently assigned favorites and the most diverse selection of contemporary American poetry in an anthology of this scope. The book concludes with nine popular and frequently-taught plays.

with Peter Schakel, editors, 250 Poems: A Portable Anthology (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2002).
250 Poems collects poetry in English over the past five hundred years, with an emphasis on poetry of the past fifty years including writers from various American ethnic groups. The volume is chronologically organized and includes annotation, biographical notes on the poets, and a glossary of poetic terms.

Against Elegies (2001).
A collection of poems that was selected by Sharon Dolan and Billy Collins, then U.S. Poet Laureate, for the 2001 Chapbook Award from The Center for Book Arts in New York City.

with Peter Schakel, Approaching Poetry: Perspectives and Responses (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 1997). Approaching Poetry is a textbook organized around two premises: First, an introduction to poetry needs to alleviate the fear with which many students approach poetry. It meets that need by its empathetic tone, its clear and careful explanations of technical material, and the reader-oriented approach which undergirds it. Second, introductions to poetry cannot be theory-free. Approaching Poetry begins, therefore, by explaining its underlying assumptions directly; it blends theoretical considerations into its introduction to the elements of poetry; and it offers alternative perspectives from which to approach and engage with a poem.

be-tween (1988).
A collection of poems in two sections. Part one offers poems based on personal history and part two is a series of meditations.