Shaun Irland

Assistant Professor - English Department

Email: shaun.irland@clinton.edu

Degrees:

M.A. The University of Maine
B.A. SUNY Potsdam

Courses Taught:

Composition Foundations, English Composition, Literature and Composition, Reading Foundations

Academic Background and Interests

I have been teaching at CCC since 2016.  Previously, I taught in Western New York and in Maine.  My academic focus is on Composition Studies, though I also enjoy Literature of War and Creative Writing.

Personal Interests and Hobbies

I have a small woodshop at my home where I specialize in making some truly terrible furniture.  I'm also an avid motorcyclist and I love taking long motorcycle camping trips every summer.

Keys to Success

Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said, "There is no great writing, only great rewriting." I have always enjoyed this phrase because it captures my philosophy of writing (and learning) perfectly.  The image of the talented writer knocking out piles of brilliant prose in one sitting ignores the mountain of failed drafts that came before. Success lies in perseverance, in refusing to accept the mediocre, rather than in some innate talent.