When Sören Hammerschmidt started teaching at GateWay Community College, the school was getting much more than your average English teacher. What they were getting was a literary expert, well-versed in the writing and culture of 18th-century Britain and the Atlantic world.
What is 18th-century British and Transatlantic Literature? Think powdered wigs in all of their glory. Hammerschmidt’s most recent article, “The Shape of Things to Come: Eighteenth-Century Studies and the Community College,” was recently published in The Rambling, an online publication focusing on “experimental, public-facing, personal, polemical, or peripatetic” writing on the 18th century and related topics. In his article, Hammerschmidt focuses on the future of 18th century studies, of literary studies and humanistic enquiry.
So, why 18th century studies? Hammerschmidt says, “I was - and still am - drawn in by the quirkiness of a lot of the writing at the time. Many of the genres and forms of writing we now take for granted, for example novels and newspapers, were quite new at the time, so writers were still trying to figure out what they could be and were experimenting a lot with their content and form, which then translated to most other forms of writing...so you get some really interesting and weird texts. And they knew what good satire was, so much of the writing is really witty and funny.”
Now starting his second year, Hammerschmidt brings that same level of knowledge and passion to his students every day. When asked what he hopes his students take away from his classes, Hammerschmidt says, “That they can investigate and tackle new things on their own, that they have what it takes to create and communicate new ideas, that they have a lot to offer to the world and will be able to make a difference.”
While his second hat may be a powdered wig, his first hat rests firmly at GateWay. “I've been at GateWay for a year now, and I still sometimes stop and realize how happy I am to be here. It is such a great, close, and supportive community of faculty, staff, and students. I know every day that I made the right decision,” added Hammerschmidt.
A quick read through his work indicates that GateWay made the right decision as well.
To read Hammerschmidt’s article, visit https://the-rambling.com/2020/08/07/issue9-hammerschmidt/