My name is Steve Blakeslee, and I have been teaching writing and literature at Evergreen for 27 years. My academic pursuits chiefly revolve around literary classics (particularly 19th- and 20th-century fiction), autobiographical accounts, and graphic novels. My own creative work and occasional publications include poetry, fables, personal essays, memoir, and translation. Recently, I completed a stay at the Whiteley Center (University of Washington, Friday Harbor Labs), where I was granted time to work on my current book project, Dad’s Diary: An Autobiographical Collage. This past year, I served as faculty advisor for Evergreen’s literary magazine, Slightly West, which I helped to launch in 1986. I also published an article titled “Teachers as Students” in Real Evergreen: An Educator’s Handbook. From 2017 to 2019, I served as chair of the faculty at Evergreen. Recently, I have been involved in curricular planning for the college’s new division of Professional and Continuing Education.
Education
M.A., English, University of Washington, 1991; B.S., Environmental Studies, The Evergreen State College, 1986.
Teaching Style
I aim for everyone to work hard and have fun in equal measure (note which comes first). I expect everyone to commit fully to their studies: attend all sessions, complete all assignments on time, and participate actively. In addition to addressing specific academic topics, I help students hone their general skills as readers, writers, listeners, speakers, thinkers, and team members. Finally, I always consider myself a student of our mutual topic, building understandings alongside you.