My name is Laurence Musgrove '76, and this is my Southwestern story. I began my studies at Southwestern in 1972, and during the spring of 1973, I won a first place poetry prize at the school’s literary festival. I chalk this up to Dr. Lois Parker, the most inspiring teacher I have ever had. She was the first instructor to show me the real value of reading and writing, and she started me on the path I still walk down today as an associate professor of English at Saint Xavier University in Chicago.

When I learned of the poetry contest, I had already written a draft of a poem that played with the notion that the word “realize” came from the combination of “real” and “eyes.” A pretty simple analogy really, but it served as an epiphany for a freshman who was new to the power of language and literature, so I thought it was worth a shot to submit it.

However, because I was also taking Dr. Parker’s English class at the time, I thought I would run it by her. I dropped by her office hours one afternoon, and entered her office in Mood Hall. She was sitting at her desk against the bright west windows, and she welcomed me gladly. She smiled as I sat down next to her, and she carefully read through my poem.

That few minutes with her transformed my life. From that moment on, I have been a different person, and when I write today, I still feel her presence. She turned to me and asked me if this or that word was necessary, trying to get me to be more precise with my language.

Then she said something to me that I continue to treasure to this day, something I even tell my own writing students. After she finished helping me edit my poem, she asked me why I didn’t give the poem a title. I was at a loss. I hadn’t really thought about it. I said, innocently, “Well, I really didn’t think it needed one.” Then with a teaching gesture I can only describe as an act of love, she said, “Larry, writing a poem and not giving it a title is like having a child and not giving it a name.” Well, the rest, as they say is history. Or for me, my entire future.

I went on to title the poem simply “Real-Eyes.” Then, as I said, it won the school literary festival award for poetry. Then, to my surprise, I received a one-on-one meeting with one of the judges of the literary festival to discuss my poem. You may have heard of her, Gwendolyn Brooks, author of the classic American poem, “We Real Cool.” But I sure hadn’t. You see, I wasn’t a reader or a writer until that time. I don’t even think I was really a student until Dr. Parker taught me that language and writing and poetry and literature make us who we are. And she made me.