Q & A with Nicholas Morris

Background

Degrees and Certificates

• Bachelor of Fine Arts - Creative Writing | Arkansas Tech University
• Master of Fine Arts - Writing and Poetics (Prose Concentration) | Naropa University

Q & A

What do you do at CCD?

I teach Humanities, Literature and English and serve as a faculty advisor for Phi Theta Kappa, the International Honor Society

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I enjoy doing a job that I love and am passionate about and I enjoy working with our students.

When you're not working, what do you do?

I write my own creative work and perform it at readings, I play guitar, go camping with my partner, and watch football with my friends.

What moment at CCD stand out as the most memorable?

It's hard to pick just one, but getting hired as full-time faculty after five years as an adjunct is probably the highlight of my time at CCD so far.

Who had the greatest influence on your education and/or career path?

Again, it's hard to pick only one person because I've been fortunate enough to have a great many influences who've inspired me to be a better teacher. I suppose the greatest impact was my high school social studies teacher, Mr. Steve Roberts, who first showed me that educating and entertaining students were not mutually exclusive. He demonstrated to me that humor is one of the most effective ways to get students to remember important concepts.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

The best advice I ever received was from Bobbie Louise Hawkins, one of the creative writing teachers at Naropa. Her advice was this: "As a writer, people are always telling you to find your voice. I want to tell you the opposite: Don't find your voice; TRUST your voice." In other words, everyone already has a unique perspective on writing and the world at-large. Rather than trying to find our own place in the universe, we should accept that we already have a place and make the most out of the place we already have.

Which three people (living or dead) would you invite to dinner and why?

I would invite William Shakespeare, Voltaire, and Kurt Vonnegut. They are among my favorite writers and I think it would be fascinating to get their unique perspectives from their different eras of humanity.

What or who can’t you live without?

My life partner, Alyssa Piccinni, who has been there for me through both the good times and the bad. I would not be who I am today without her love and support.

Please list any research interests

My primary area of study these days is mythology and ancient civilizations though I have a particular love for Renaissance culture and studies of the modern world.

Publications

I have published two books of short stories; the first is called Tapeworm and the second is called The Boy in the Well. Unfortunately, the publisher has recently gone out of print, though I suppose that does make these books worth more now.