Del Palmer

I got a Masters of Liberal Arts (MLA) at Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College). There was a lot of reading and a few professors who helped me to read differently, arguably to read better. 

I remember one, Del Palmer, very fondly. He was a professor of comparative literature and a co-designer of the MLA program I went through (Something I didn’t know until now.). I learned things I didn’t know about him as I did a little research while writing this. I took two classes with Del and I enjoyed them immensely. Talking to him about reading was interesting and fun. It didn’t feel like schoolwork, it felt like talking to a knowledgeable friend. 

I had good conversations with him; most are lost to me now. I remember talking with him about humor in books about war. I don’t remember most of the conversation, but I do remember bringing up the book Mister Roberts (Better known as a movie with Henry Fonda, Jimmy Cagney, William Powell and a young Jack Lemmon) as a bridge between some books we were talking about. The good part, the best part, is remembering the look of approval on his face when I suggested that bridge.

Another good memory is of an important lesson. In the class, we were looking at the structure in writing. I submitted the book I was going to look at for an assignment and made a comment about seeing if there was any structure. He made a note that there is always structure; it was our job to find it. That comment pushed me to be a more analytical reader. That comment has carried through to my author interviews. Some of my best interview moments have been a result of looking deeply at the structure of their books. 

Years after taking the classes, I ran into to Del and his wife, Nancy, also a professor at Western Maryland. I stopped to talk to them and she said, “You look familiar. Were you a student of mine?” Del put his arm around my shoulders and said, “No, he was MY student.” I took great pleasure from his wanting to claim me as his. It felt like very high praise.

Another professor I had at Western Maryland was Kathy Mangan. Maybe we will talk about her another time. In that research I was talking about, I found out that the Palmers took a young Kathy Mangan under their wings. I never knew. Small world.

Too late now, but Del Palmer was a book person that I wish I had gotten to know better.

Do you have someone in your life that changed how you read? Let us know at twosides2thestory@yahoo.com