Faculty Happenings —"
Chowan CoU^e English FVofessor
Rekindles kitetest inTwain Writings
A Chowan College English professor is
on the forefront of a national effort to
rekindle interest in the writings of Mark
Twain.
Not only is Dr. John Davis a founder of
the Mark Twain Circle, a national organiza
tion that produces the “Mark Twain Circu
lar,” he has also contributed 13 articles to
the Mark Twain Encyclopedia to be pub
lished no later than 1993.
To cap his recognition as a Mark Twain
authority, he was one of a handful of
professors nationally invited to present a
paper at the third annual Fall Twain Sympo
sium in Hartford, Conn. Oct. 10-11.
The symposium, devoted to ‘The Myth
of the Frontier,” was held at the Mark
Twain Memorial, the home where Mark
Twain lived with his wife Olivia for 20
years.
Davis shared the podium with noted
Mark Twain experts from Princeton,
Dartmouth, the University of Virginia, the
University of Texas at El Paso, and the
State University of New York.
Davis said that Mark Twain has not
always been held in high esteem in his own
country. He said some critics conceded he
was a great humorist, but faulted him for a
lack of organization and seriousness of
purpose. They said his success was an
“accident.”
This trend has been reversed in the past
20 years, according to Davis. He said
intense current investigation of Mark
Twain’s published and unpublished works,
centered at the University of California at
Berkeley, has resulted in a renewed appre
ciation for the complexity of his writings.
‘These studies reveal that Mark Twain
was very well organized and that his writ
ings were not just ramblings of his own
experiences and travels but also fiction, a
product of his own imagination,” said
Davis. “As for his humor, it’s enjoyable
standing by itself. But he used it as a tool
to expose hypocrisy, racism and other social
ills. I believe he was a genius.”
He traces his love for Mark Twain to his
high school days. Both his master’s thesis
and Ph.D. dissertation at Auburn University
were devoted to Mark Twain.
He drew ujwn his dissertation in prepar
ing his 30-minute paper which included an
examination of some of the frontier myths
that Mark Twain exposed as false after
traveling west with his brother.
Davis said the myths include a code of
honor among gunmen, the frontier dude, and
a relative automatically avenging the murder
of a kin.
Samuel Clemens, who used the pen
name of Mark Twain, served as a reporter in
Virginia City, Nevada and San Francisco.
Later he was a reporter in New York City
and Buffalo.
Davis also believes “Mark Twain
himself becomes myth.” He said, “In
creating Mark Twain, Samuel Clemens
mythologized a public and literary persona.”
He said Clemens attempted to capitalize on
making the character of Mark Twain larger
than life.
Mark
Twain amassed
a fortune from
his writings and
lectures. He
nearly lost
everything I ^
when an
investment in a U
printing press
failed. To
avoid bank
ruptcy, he sold
his Hartford
home.
nkee.
Mark
Twain’s place
in American
literature is
Secure, accord
ing to Davis. Davis
“Mark Twain
was the most thoroughly American writer.
His novel. Huckleberry Finn, is considered
one of the two greatest novels written by an
American, The other is Moby Dick.”
Davis said he is pleased to have a role in
the growing popularity of Mark Twain. He
is glad to see a number of Twain’s lesser
known works included in collections of his
short stories.
Article by Phil Royce
"I
believe he
[Mark
Twain] was
a genius.
Dr. Davis
Winslow Carter Bids Adieu
From the poverty of rural farm life to
teaching in an African village, snorkeling in
the Indian Ocean and climbing
Mount Kilimanjaro, to a career
recruiting and working with
young college students,
Winslow Carter epitomizes the
American ideal of growth
through education.
Carter left Chowan College
this summer to return to a
profession he began upon his
own graduation from Chowan--
work he has pursued on a
personal level by opening his
home to emotionally-disturbed
foster children.
Carter assumed the position
of Job Skills Coach for a high
school in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City
Schools, assisting handicapped youngsters
with vocational placement.
Before worldng at Chowan, Carter was
director of admissions at Campbell College
for seven years; He was director of admis
sions at Chowan for seven years until last
April when he was appointed dean of
student development. As director of admis
sions, he always met or exceeded his goals
for recruits for the upcoming freshman
classes.
The accomplishment for which he
would most like to be remembered
concemes young lives. "I’d like to think I
had a good impact on students here,” he
says.
He will miss the people he worked with and the campus.
‘There’s an aura about this campus,” he said. “It’s something
you have to experience to understand.”
Carter attributes much of his profes
sional growth to workshops he attended and
often led for the state’s admissions profes
sionals organization (CACRAO) and his
contact with those professionals. “It has
helped me appreciate the value of education
and the way it can change a life," he said.
"To know I've had a part in that has helped
me grow. If you don’t grow and continue to
learn, you dry up inside."
i Carter and his wife, Harriett, have a son
Andrew, 7 and daughter Emily, 11.
Asked what perceptions and hopes he
has for Chowan College’s future. Carter is
■ eloquent: “. . . a liberal arts college that can
help young people who don’t have all the
advantages make a good life for
themselves. I hope Chowan College
can do for others what it did for me—
open doors culturally, open up friend
ships, make their world larger.”
As he moves on, he will strive to
continue the philosophies he has
propounded throughout his life: It is
better “to be rather than to seem,” and
success “is not so much inspiration as
f)erspi ration.”
His conviction “there is some good
in everybody” will surely bring him the
same esteem among his new students
and associates he has attained here.
Article by Jeanne V. Blair
Cartw
Facol'Focus
Mrs. Phyllis D«war presented a paper,
“ABC’s of Chemistry,” at the National
Science Teachers Association Area Con
vention in Charlotte December 10.
Resident directors at Chowan Collie
collected toys and money for Toys-For-
Tots and Help-A-Needy-Child-At-
Chrlstmas.
Jeanette Henderson became secre
tary to the director of annual giving and
alumni services, and to the director of
college relations last October.
Her husband of 18 years. Jack,
became business manager of Roanoke
Chowan Community College in Ahoskie,
a year and a half ago. They moved to
Hertford County from Chesapeake,
Va., and now reside in
Murfreesboro.
The Hendersons have two
children, David, 11 and Melissa, 13.
While living in Chesapeake,
Jeanette worked as ofTice manager
and director of development for
Triple R Ranch, a Christian
summer camp and year-round
retreat center.
She owned horses and taught
horseback riding in the Chesapeake
area. The Hendersons attend First
Baptist Church of Ahoskie where
they are involved with the youth
program.
Winter 1992-Chowan Today-? AGE 5