Michael Stubbs
Senior Lecturer in English
Office: LA 157
DA, English (2008), Idaho State University
MA, English (2005), University of Alaska, Fairbanks
BA, English (2002), Brigham Young University
I find it funny to be living and teaching in Pocatello, Idaho. I was raised nearby in Twin Falls, and one time swore to leave behind small town life, sagebrush, and deserts forever because, from the beginning, I loved the study of literature for its vision of far off lands, foreign cultures, new ideas, and adventures. So I left home and read about ancient Greeks, Romans, Vikings, philosophers, adventurers, and scholars. I was never disappointed. The study of literature was exciting, challenging, and never-ending.
As I read, I wanted to develop my own ability to write just as well, so as an undergraduate student, I took as many writing classes as I did literature classes. Learning to write well was not easy, but that is what made it worthwhile. Because I had to work hard in order to improve as a reader and a writer, today I make my students work hard to ensure their improvement. When I finished my undergraduate studies, I didn't know what I wanted to be doing beside reading and writing, and so I kept going to school after I finished my bachelor's degree.
In the master's program at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, I was introduced to a new set of writers — nature writers, or environmental writers. These people showed me that reading and writing about what is familiar, reading and writing about home, can be just as intriguing as those far off places. This led me to look closer to home to continue my study of English. At Idaho State University, I continued to study literature and environment. In the doctor of arts program, I was able to add the interdisciplinary subjects of politics and history to my study of nature and art. Discussions about the history, the politics, and the artistic representations of place are continually fascinating to me, and I encourage the students in my composition courses and in my literature courses to reconsider their views of nature and place as they discover new ways of reading and writing. I am happy to call Idaho "home," and I am happy to teach the ways of reading, writing, and thinking that have shown me new ways of understanding.
Selected Publications
“Climbing Heybum.” Idaho Magazine, August 2018. 6-13.
“The Bear and the Bell.” Idaho Magazine, December 2017. 12-18.
“Along with Tom: Hiking the Idaho Centennial Trail.” Idaho Magazine, October 2016. 18-23.
“Ultra-Run: sixty seven miles, one step at a time.” Idaho Magazine, October 2015. 49-53.
“Chasing Winter.” Idaho Magazine, May 2015. 42-45.
"Or Not to Ski." The Idaho Magazine, August 2014.
"In the Mountains, No One Can Hear You Swear." Sunstone Magazine, September 2012.
"Haiku" (poem). Rock and Ice Magazine, March 2012.
"Staying at Home in a Daddly Fashion." Sunstone Magazine, 163 June 2011.
"House Dad," "Snow" (poems). Red Clay Review, Spring 2007.
"Lichens," "I Spilled My Blood," "The Hermit's Cave" (poems). Black Rock and Sage, Spring 2007. 17, 18.
"One the Road to Anchorage, September," "Walking Home on a Dark Street in Guadalajara, Mexico" (poems). Ice Box, 6 Spring 2004. 51, 53, 62.
Awards and Honors
Master Teacher Award, ISU, 2018
Courses Taught
2277: Survey of American Literature I
2258: Survey of World Literature II
2257: Survey of World Literature I
1175: Literature and Ideas
1115: Special Topics in Literature: Nature
1102: Writing and Rhetoric II
1101: Writing and Rhetoric I