Leslie Donovan is a professor in the Honors College who has been teaching here since 1996. She has a Ph.D. in medieval literature, which she said is a perfect excuse to incorporate her five favorite books into her classes’ curriculum.
1. “Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien
“A family friend gave it to me when I was in middle school. I read it and fell in love with it. I thought about it over the years and reread it frequently. This work is not only central to my professional career, but it is that one work that I always go to personally in a way that means ‘home’ to me. It is important to me not only because of the medieval traditions it adapts for modern purposes, but because of what it says about the power of the individual will, about the value of love and friendship, and, most especially, about how even the smallest of us can make a difference in the larger world.
2. “Beowulf” by anonymous
“I teach it almost every semester, and I never get tired of it. As a scholar of Old English literature, this anonymous Old English epic is a text I live with as closely as if it were a member of my family. For me, its hero represents the very best in humanity. The poem’s powerful themes and language carry messages about fate, faith in one’s self and duty to others that always makes me feel strong and able to tackle whatever comes my way.”
3. “The Dispossessed” by Ursula K. Le Guin
“I recently rediscovered this book when I taught it in my ‘What Worlds May Come’ course. I had read it in college but had kind of forgotten about it. This book resonates with me because of its ability to present both utopian and dystopian views intertwined together. It provides an unforgettable example of how societies, cultures and individuals can both succeed and fail at the same time.”
4. “The Once and Future King” by T.H. White
“This is my favorite modern King Arthur story, although I also adore its medieval predecessors. White’s version highlights both the achievements and tragedies of the Arthurian legend in ways that make the characters incredibly human but also extraordinarily admirable, even though they’re flawed. It speaks to me about what I consider true courage: seeking to do your best and what is right, even when you have absolutely no doubt that you’re going to fail, even when all hope seems lost.”
5. “Circles on the Water” by Marge Piercy
“In another part of my career I was a poet. While I have many, many poetry favorites, this is always one I return to. Piercy has an astounding ability to capture the heart of an emotion with the perfect image in a few succinct words. I connect with her words through her craft but especially in the emotional content of the human experience that they convey. There’s one [poem] called ‘For Strong Women.’ I don’t remember it by heart, but one line talks about all the ways women can be strong. ‘For strong women are also strongly afraid,’ or something like that. It’s a really powerful part at the end where she’s talking about how strong women aren’t just admirable and heroic, they’re also vulnerable. Powerful as well as powerless at times. That’s one of my favorites, especially when I’m feeling weak. It’s okay to feel weak because even powerful women feel weak sometimes.”
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Skylar Griego is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
