The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, October 03, 1989, Page 3, Image 3
JOYCE from Pago 1 served on numerous panels and com mittees. Among other awards, she was named Outstanding Young Woman of America in 1984 and has published many articles on black writers. Although Joyce has published extensively, she says she places as much importance on teaching as on her research. '' My publications are important to me," she says, "but 1 haven't let that turn me into a selfish person by limit ing my involvement with students and committees." Joyce is straightforward. Site speaks to students on their level. Al though her appearance is exotic for Nebraska, Joyce projects blunt sin cerity. She tells her class she admires Hurston because the ./riter was not "a rural-based person pretending to be city-bred." At a cocktail party, Joyce met a black writer who spoke with a British accent. "No man bred in America, no black man especially, talks with that accent. I just wanted to say, 'Hey brother, get down.' "I have enough problems of my own without judging others, but that didn't stop me that time," Joyce jokes. Professors often are unwitting role models for students, Joyce says. They have a profound effect on society, because of their prolonged contact with future parents and leaders. Joyce knows what she’s talking about While she was a pre-med student at Valdosta State College in Georgia, Willa Valencia, an English professor, influenced Joyce to abandon a career in psychiatry for one in English. Valencia s poise, enthusiasm and intelligence struck Joyce. Valencia’s skill as a teacher made Joyce aware of her own love for books. Joyce says she had the same effect on a pre-med student when she taught at the University of Maryland. But Joyce con vinced the student he could indulge his love for books without changing his major. Joyce says her goal is to get stu dents to internalize books, to spur then?, to ask questions. Those ques tions usually lead them to evaluate their place in society, she says. Books challenge students feeling of security with threatening ideas, she says. In an Afro-American litera ture course, those ideas cluster around racism, she says. “While people have a lot of guilt, particularly young whites. They say to me that they aren’t responsible for racism, their ancestors ire. “That bothers me. It’s like an ostrich with its head in the sand.’’ Joyce sayi that because if students fail to accept the responsibility for racism now, they will rail to deal with it effectively as tomorrow’s leaders. And the legacy is passed on. JJlack literature is politically based, Joyce says. It allows oppres sors to see themselves through the eyes of the oppressed, she says. Black writers create self-parodying tales to cope with the horrors of life, Joyce says. ‘My publications or# important to mo, but ! havon't lot that turn mo Into a sottish por $on by limiting my Involvomonf with student* and commHtoos.’ -Joyce "They deal with it humorously, like Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall,’’ she says. "It’s how they illuminate racism so they can get up and g^to work everyday/’ Yet Joyce is careful to show stu dents the beauty of Afro- American literature, a quality missed if books are taught only as social documents. Joyce not only interprets what the authors say, she looks lor the beauty in the style of how they say it Joyce says her articles on authors and their .■"' I works focus on the wedding of style and content in black literature. Many writers tend to interpret these works from a sociological view and that can shadow the beauty of the books she says. A scientific interpretation of lit erature, especially of black litera ture, is more likely to be sanctioned by UNL’s Research Council, Joyce says. It's one reason why she worries her work may be overlooked by the council. The council gives grants to pro fessors. Joyce says the money often is used for travel expenses to national conferences or further research. But UNL seems to take Joyce's work seriously. The university granted her tenure immediately, by passing the customary six-year pro bationary period. Frederick Link, chairman of the English department, says Joyce de serves special consideration because of her reputation as a teacher and her Kblicauon record. Also, she already d earned tenure at the University of Maryland. Joyce taught at Maryland 10 years before she decided she was stagnat ing. Nebraska promised a change of scenery, giving Joyce the chance to teach and continue her research, she says. Her husband, Walter Gholson, 41, is a news-editorial student at the UNL journalism college and just got a job as coordinator of the youth program at the Malone Community Center. She says she has enjoyed her first eight weeks in Nebraska. ‘4Well I’m not attracted to cold weather, but people here appear to be more sincere and less pretentious. ” I f OCTOBER PERM ; I $10°° Off Perm, Cut, &' Style Oct. 2-14 moi vmo war. otntr oviars Of ptomowns. Kfomot>onai onet? av«Mab6a with paiolpilng daaignai. Long hair toy oonauL tafto*. Stop By Or Call For An Appointment (hbIh txonuth 49-i 475-5550 Press here for a great data processing career. The right time. The right place. State Farm Is hiring. If you’re a senior with a data processing, computer science or math background, there may be a very spetial career opportunity waiting for you in one of the largest corporate data process ing facilities in the country. There are actuarial and audit ing Jobe open. too. Blue Chip. 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