[Image:http://nzr.mvnu.edu/faculty/trearick/arearick_sword_small.jpg]"Prof. Gandalf" is Dr. Anderson (Tad) Malvin Rearick III an associate professor of English at Mount Vernon Nazarene University.
I love Wikipedia! I tell students that although academic writing in research writing may not accept Wikipedia because of its openness to outside editing and loose editorial review policies, it is still a must check for their work. The well done articles on the site give credit to where they get their resources and these can are often the first steps in finding both authorities and learning the vocabulary surrounding a subject. In point of fact there are a number of subjects which Wikipedia covers that is often not included in more traditional sources. One example which was especially important in my covering of Othello was the history of blackface. The Encyclopedia Britannica Online (C) (to which our institution subscribes and I enjoy) had nothing on this topic. Wikipedia's coverage, however, is excellent! [1]
However, what I like best about Wikipedia is its basic central concept of the free exchange of information. The idea that when I come to the main page interesting facts and points are displayed with no agenda except "Gee, did you know that. . .?" is wonderful. The whole idea of collective research, to share knowledge for no reason than the joy of doing so, hearkens back to the early days of the internet before concerns about making money became so prevalent that we all now need spam blockers on our browsers. I know Wikipedia is making money somewhere, but the idea and the openness appeal to me deeply.
My interests in literature include. . .
* Charles Dickens (on whom I did my PHD work, "Who Then Shall Be Saved? A Critical Examination of Loss and Reclamation in Charles Dickens's David Copperfield" [2]
* Religion and Pop Culture. See the article from Christianity Today "Hallowing Halloween" which argues that the best way for Christians to deal with the holiday is to embrace it for its traditional use [3].
* And in literature that tends toward the fantastic. I am the advisor to the MVNU Science Fiction and Fantasy Club (ergo my online name) [4].
I am also the author of "Why is the Only Good Orc a Dead Orc?" featured in Modern Fiction Studies special issue on J. R. R. Tolkien (vol. 50, no. 4, Winter 2004), guest-edited by Professor Shaun Hughes.[5]
I may be reached at. . .
- <a href="mailto:profgandalf@yahoo.com">profgandalf@yahoo.com</a>
- <a href="mailto:anderson.rearick@mvnu.edu">anderson.rearick@mvnu.edu </a>and at
- <a href="mailto:tadrearick@juno.com">tadrearick@juno.com</a> (my oldest email)
Those interested can check my Curriculum VITA last updated in the Fall of 2006 [6]
There is also my unofficial office which has links to a number of my interests [7]
And here is my official MVNU web site (which needs major updating) [8]