This article was originally published in the 2023 edition of Bluefield University’s Spire magazine.
From developing BU’s literary journal, The Bluestone Review, to reshaping the Honors Program to include a junior seminar on ethical decision-making, English professor Dr. Rob Merritt left a lasting impact on the BU campus community.
“As a professor,” he said, “I wanted writing students to feel the excitement of telling their own deep story, finding meaning where they did not find it at first, and to feel the power of words.”
With a plethora of achievements spanning three decades, Bluefield University named Dr. Merritt a Distinguished Professor Emeritus upon his retirement in fall 2022. He said, “I am honored to be a distinguished professor of creative writing, as I have spent much of my career as a creative writer trying to inspire students. This is especially important in these times of increased questioning of the value of humanities. We must offer students the opportunity to continue finding ways to express old truths in a new language.”
Dr. Merritt began his tenure as a BU English professor in 1990 after completing a Ph.D. in English at the University of Kentucky. This new venture brought him, his wife, Mimi, and their children, Charlie and Caroline, nearly two hours from his hometown in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and provided his first experience with a smaller institution.
“People at Bluefield College were very friendly in this brave new world of preparing five courses per semester,” he shared. “There were gracious colleagues in the department, such as Wayne Massey and Mickey Pellillo, and a fine division chair, Tim Crawford.”
During his time with BU’s English department, Dr. Merritt established a creative writing concentration and created The Nantahala Review in collaboration with Ferrum College and Virginia Intermont College. He designed several academic courses and enabled students to explore commonalities across cultures through sacred narratives, analyze great literary works like John Milton’s Paradise Lost, and survey his favorite authors, such as Virginia Wolfe, Jane Austen, William Faulkner, and Shakespeare.
“I wish every student at Bluefield University would have the opportunity to see an expert production of Shakespeare on stage; suddenly, everything makes sense, especially the jokes,” Dr. Merritt said, recounting trips to Blackfriars Theater in Staunton, Virginia.
Going beyond Virginia, Dr. Merritt secured funding from The National Endowment for the Humanities and the Appalachian College Association for his students to visit Alaska, Spain, Austria, and Ireland. He and four students also had the opportunity to immerse themselves in Chinese culture, which he described as a “mind-expanding” experience. He shared, “A memorable and challenging trip was to the Jiangsu Second Normal University in Nanjing, China, where I taught classes in poetry. I organized an outdoor poetry reading as the capstone experience for more than 30 students.”
His regional and global impact are further defined by his service as a vice-president for West Virginia Writers and The National Association for Poetry Therapy, his role as a board member for The Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Foundation, and a semester of teaching in London.
Over the years, Dr. Merritt has enjoyed following the success of both his English and honors students. He described several of them as “stellar contributors to Bluefield University,” including faculty and staff members Brandy Smith, Emily Cook, and Tabi Price. “I am pleased to say many of the graduates of (the Honors Program) have gone on to become successful doctors, lawyers, dentists, occupational therapists, and more,” he said.
In addition to being a distinguished professor, Dr. Merritt is an accomplished writer. His poems and essays are featured in several journals, which have opened doors for him to offer readings and workshops. Furthermore, he has published the poetry collections View from Blue-Jade Mountain, The Language of Longing, and Landscape Architects.
“I believe poetry undertakes to find or create patterns, a path of words through personal and social chaos,” he said. “I believe in recovery in the commonplace, in rebirth – anytime, blooming – anytime, in the perseverance of trees shared across roots. We all hurt, and we all are putting pieces back together. Let poetry be the just compass which can show a way out of ego via rituals (time-tested) and ceremonies (new). Let readers take charge of their story.”
He authored Cross-Cultural Poetics: Re-imagining the Geography of Home, an unpublished book about Chinese and Appalachian poetic practices. This project, funded by the Appalachian College Association, discovers “the unifying power of mountains whether they be in China, Ireland, or Little Wolf Creek,” he explained. “I am inspired by place – I am not from the Appalachian region, but I want to write about the light and dark of these mountains. I am interested in the concept of home – where is it? As T.S. Eliot said,
‘We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.’”
Now writing the retirement chapter of his personal story, Dr. Merritt recently toured Ireland and looks forward to visiting France, Spain, and Greece. He enjoys gardening, hiking around Bland County, and spending time with his granddaughter, Maya. He is a member of the Ridgeline Writers group in Galax and, true to his title as Professor Emeritus, always excited to discuss writing and literature. He said, “I have spent a long time at Bluefield University and have been through a lot and grown a lot, and I am thankful for these recognitions. I hope some initiatives I have implemented will continue.”