Matthew Hill
Writing Lecturer, Rhetoric and Technical Communication PhD

Where did you get your undergraduate degree? What was your major? Where did you get your Masters and PhD? What were they in?
I received my B.A. in English from Washington State University (WSU), after receiving an A.A (Associate in Arts) from William Rainey Harper Community College. I have no minor, although I changed my major several times before figuring out what I wanted to study. So I took 2 3 core classes in four other disciplines aside from English. Does that count as a minor? My M.A. is also from WSU and is in English with an emphasis in Composition and Rhetoric. I am currently finishing my PhD from Michigan Technological University in Rhetoric and Technical Communication. My areas of emphasis are rhetoric and composition, cultural studies, and pedagogy.

Why did you choose DU?
I chose DU for several reasons, two of which Ill touch on here: 1) The opportunity to help develop a new writing program is exciting, and I looked forward to teaching first-year composition again (something I hadnt done for a few years); 2) Ive been fortunate to work in different colleges and universities with different student, staff, and faculty communities. DU offers the chance for me to work within yet another set of circumstances. This diversity helps me develop as a teacher and writer.

Describe what your writing process is like:
I tend to let ideas stew before writing. This is not necessarily how I approach teaching writing, however. I encourage students to learn various approaches to writing and determine which approach works best given the communicative situation.

What do you enjoy most about writing?
I enjoy wrestling with words and ideas, forming them into something that seems fresh. I also enjoy trying to penetrate to the core of what seems to me an intriguing question or challenge. But I think what I like most about writing is the freedom it allows me. Writing can occur in almost any situation for almost any reason. Ill rely on a musical relationship here via Neil Youngs career: sometimes you need to play Harvest, sometimes Zuma, and sometimes Living With War.

Briefly, how would you describe your teaching philosophy?
I approach teaching writing from a quasi-classical model. I believe the goal of classical rhetoric that asks students to study and create texts as a process of enabling and participating in civic discourse is still a noble goal. The models from that time need, of course, to be modified to be more inclusive and in sync with our times, but those models are still productive as for me as I think about my teaching.

What drew you to become a writing teacher?
Working as a tutor in Washington State Universitys Writing Lab. I was there for approximately four years as an undergrad and grad student. I learned that I was not only pretty good at helping fellow students talk about and address their questions concerning writing, but I enjoyed being a tutor as well. By the time I left WSU, I had taken on many roles in that Writing Lab that allowed me to experience a wide range of what I would experience as a future teacher.

What do you enjoy most about teaching writing?
I truly enjoy being in the classroom and working with students.

What are your hobbies and outside interests, or, as Doug puts it, guilty pleasures?
I love music and movies. I also love playing pool, but I dont do that much when class is in session. I have recently become a fan of, okay, an addict of, the video game Guitar Hero 2. Because I have no musical ability but am an avid music fan, the game allows me to live out my boyhood dreams of being in Cheap Trick.

Name an unusual or little-known fact about yourself.
I wrote and directed a short movie a few years back. It was a great experience. I recommend everyone take a shot at it, and it is a bit easier to do now with digital cameras and editing tools. The process required skills that I didnt know I possessed or at least hadnt used in quite some time.
 

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