Leslie Lewis came to Goucher in July as the new provost and vice president for academic affairs. A big fan of the liberal arts, blues, and organic gardening, she calls Goucher “a college with a conscience.” Here, the former dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences and professor of English at Ithaca College, discusses her first days at Goucher, training for a triathlon, and hungry groundhogs.
Tell us a little about how you came to academia.
I’m from the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, but have lived in numerous small towns in the mid-Atlantic growing up, then went to St. John’s College in Annapolis because I was enthralled by the curriculum there (a distinctive great books curriculum). After college, I worked for a couple of years in Washington, DC, in marketing and media research. Then I went to graduate school at the University of Virginia for a master’s degree and Indiana University for a Ph.D. I began teaching there and have been some combination of scholar, writer, teacher, and servant-leader ever since.
What attracted you to Goucher?
Goucher is a terrific match for me because it’s a very self-reflective liberal arts college with a history of inclusion. It’s also a college with a conscience. I knew, too, that Goucher has a dynamic new president—and I wanted to work with him.
What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home, and how did that experience change you?
The farthest away from home I’ve ever lived for an extended period of time is Kansas, where I made a home for eight years in the 1990s. I learned a lot about this country by living and teaching in Kansas and traveling the state leading book discussions for the Kansas Humanities Council. I was also leading an Ethnic and Gender Studies program at the time, and we were the catalyst for social change, which also taught me something about myself.
What is your favorite part of the job so far?
I’m a listener, and so far I’ve been doing a lot of listening! While my meeting schedule is a little crazy, it’s been wonderful to learn Goucher’s history and hear the aspirations of so many people. The food here is also terrific—I love a great salad!
What do you like to do when you’re not spending time making Goucher more excellent?
I have my eye on a triathlon that I’m working toward, so I swim, run, and cycle regularly. I also hike and kayak. I’m also a longtime, serious, organic gardener. We’re still figuring out how to grow some of the vegetables we love; deer aren’t so much the problem—it’s the groundhogs. Somehow they find me wherever I garden.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Well, I still want to be a truck farmer. I might do that next—you never know!
Any hidden talents?
In my early adulthood I lived in a series of houses that were, all of them, 1920s bungalows. I know how to renovate and fix things—and have a lot of tools.
Ithaca may be gorgeous but have you found anything in this area that is charming?
I appreciate the question on its many levels! I’m thrilled to be near the water again. When I was in college in Annapolis, I lived on the Severn River at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, and I have many memories of the beauty of that body of water. We’ve been taking advantage of the Bay’s proximity and have started to explore Baltimore’s waterfront. Fell’s Point is a favorite area so far. And Ithaca’s gorges meant lots of hiking, and so, since we’ve been here, I’ve regularly walked the trails at Loch Raven Reservoir. I have a photo of the reservoir from a walk a couple of weekends ago that I’ve just made my new desktop background.
What’s your favorite…
Book? As an English professor, this is a very hard question. I have a long-term project that focuses on the science fiction of Octavia Butler. I’ve also written about John Edgar Wideman’s novels. I would recommend Philadelphia Fire by Wideman as response to James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time.
Musician/Band? Anything blues based. I still have CDs (also vinyl and cassettes, too) and am listening to Cassandra Wilson at the moment in my car.
Place in the world? Marjorie, my spouse, and I keep going back to Santa Cruz, California.