English Senior Spotlight: Theodore Jonas

Theodore is an English major in the Literary and Cultural Studies track with a minor in Creative Writing.

Why did you decide to become an English major?

The English major is very flexible, and can compound nicely with a variety of other skill sets. More than that, I have a passion for narrative design and telling stories, making the English major an obvious choice.

What is something you read in an English course that impacted your worldview?

Ah, well, I've read so much... I tend to lean toward science and speculative fiction, so Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness was a fast favorite for its ability to communicate true and honest misunderstanding between peoples. From my Medieval English class, I love Sir Gawain and the Green Knight for its twist and moral subtlety. And though it has largely fallen out of favor, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness possesses perhaps the most captivating writing of any story I have read at UMD, plus one of the starkest warnings about what kernels of evil might lurk in the human spirit. And for the sheer playfulness of thought, I greatly admire Jorge Luis Borges' Library of Babel. These works, and many others, have all greatly influenced me, and I will absolutely be carrying their lessons with me into the wider world.

What skills (professional, creative or other) do you think you’ve gotten from the major?

Use and analysis of rhetoric is what comes to mind first because it has so many applications. But closer to my interests, the most important skills I learned were in how to construct a compelling narrative. Scene, dialogue, voice, etc. and then to go further with it and really dig into the process of revision, if not even the greater process of re-vision, which is sometimes necessary. And last I should mention perspective. The exposure to so many thoughts and ideas through literature is as valuable as any formal skill.

What is your dream job or career?

This is one that I'm still trying to figure out for myself. I have so many interests that mesh finely with the English major, and I would like to sit at the crossroads where they all intersect. In that multi-disciplinary spirit, I've been looking at creative directing jobs. Is this my dream job? Who can say? But it seems like a good place to start.

What are you passionate about (or even curious about)?

Writing, sculpture, graphic design, animation, interactive narratives, light engineering and programming-- the list goes on and on. If it involves design, then I'm interested in it. But, whatever the activity, I'll engage it first and foremost with English!