Fall 2008
Tools of the Trade
The Tools:
La Gloria Cubana cigar and a bench
The User:
Joe McCullough Distinguished Professor of English
Maybe it was the peer pressure. McCullough, an expert on Mark Twain, found that many of his colleagues were cigar fanatics, just like the American humorist they study.
At a conference 10 years ago he tried a cigar and found the slow pace fostered conversation and contemplation. Now every morning and noon, he indulges in his La Gloria on a bench outside the Dungan Humanities Building. Students wander up and open up.
"It somehow makes me more approachable," he says. "To go to office hours, students feel they have to have a specific question about class; at the bench, they end up asking for advice on their careers and their lives."
One piece of advice he always gives: "Don't ever start smoking. This isn't a habit I'm proud of."
Joe McCullough
Distinguished Professor of English
Photo by Geri Kodey