Glen Retief, Ph.D.
English & Creative Writing
Education
- PHD, Florida State University
- MFA, University of Miami
- BA, University of Cape Town
- BA, University of Cape Town
Associate Professor of English & Creative Writing
Program Director of GO South Africa
Contact Information
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Email Addressretief@352396.com
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Phone Number570-372-4035
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Office Location
Glen Retief grew up in a South African game park during the apartheid era, but emigrated to the U.S. in 1994. His memoir, The Jack Bank (SMP, 2011) won a Lambda Literary Award and was selected as a Book of 2011 by the Africa Book Club.
Retief’s essays and short stories have appeared in numerous publications and journals, including Virginia Quarterly Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, Kenyon Review, and Yale Review, He writes an occasional column of creative nonfiction for the South African Daily Maverick newspaper.
Retief mostly teaches creative nonfiction classes at Susquehanna University. Once every other year or so, he also takes students to his native South Africa to visit a rural, Xhosa seaside village and a Cape Town Muslim community, and to turn their experiences into travel essays.
From 2001 to 2002, he served as a Fulbright Scholar in Mamelodi, South Africa, where he helped develop a creative writing-based curriculum to build academic skills and motivation for underprivileged high school students.
EDUCATION
Florida State University, Doctor of Philosophy in English, 2005
Major Area: History of the Novel
Minor Area: Postcolonial Literature
Dissertation: The Chameleon’s Home Country, a collection of personal essays about art, literature, politics, apartheid and sexuality.
Dissertation Director: Mark Winegardner
Committee: Robert Olen Butler, Hunt Hawkins, Neil Jumonville
University of Miami, Master of Fine Arts in English, 1999
Major Area: Fiction
Thesis: novel
Thesis Director: Evelyn Mayersohn
University of Cape Town, Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in African Studies, 1992
Major: English Minor: Criminology
University of Cape Town, Bachelor of Arts in English, 1990
Major: English
Minor: Mathematics
CREATIVE WORK AND SCHOLARSHIP
Publications/Creative Nonfiction:
Books
The Jack Bank. St. Martin’s Press: New York. April 2011. Memoir.
Personal Essays:
“On the Virtues of New and Old Shoes.” TriQuarterly (147). www.triquarterly.org/issues/issue-147/virtues-old-and-new-shoes
“48 Hours in the Susquehanna Valley.” Susquehanna Life. Lewisburg, PA. Spring 2013.
“The Rival With a Thousand Faces.” In: Ed: Paul Fahey. The Other Man. JMS Books: Glen Allen, VA. September 2013.
“Friendly Vitality: Diary of a Quaking FGC-er.” Personal Essay/Satire. Audio. In: “The Quakers Are Coming: FGC Gathering, 2011.” QuakerQuaker web site. August 4, 2011. < http://www.quakerquaker.org/profiles/blogs/the-quakers-are-coming-fgc-gathering-2011>
“Glen Retief Takes Creative Writing Students to South Africa.” Personal Essay/Pedagogy–Audio. Radio Free AWP/InsideHigherEd.com. 2 Feb 2011. <http://www.insidehighered.com/audio/awp_audio/glen_retief_takes_american_creative_writing_students_to_africa>
“The Jack Bank.” Virginia Quarterly Review (Spring 2008). Charlottesville, VA.
“The Karma of Violence.” Hotel Amerika 7.1 (Fall 2008). Chicago, IL.
“Saudade.” New Contrast 131&132 (Autumn 2006). Cape Town, South Africa. —–. Cold Mountain Review 37.1 (Fall 2008). Boone, NC.
“Intimacies: Reflections on sex, love and marriage.” Fugue 28 (Winter 2004-05). Moscow, Idaho.
“Kitsch and the Art of Wildlife Painting.” Massachusetts Review 44.4 (Winter 2003-2004). Amherst, Massachusetts.
“The Chameleon’s Home Country.” Puerto del Sol 37.2 (February 2002). Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Shorter Personal and Opinion Essays in Newspapers, Magazines, and Web Sites (selected):
“Charleston Killings Evoke Massacre in South Africa.” 22 June 2015. Philadelphia Inquirer. http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/thinktank/Charleston-killings-echo-massacre-in-S-Africa.html
“The Day Mandela Gave Me a Tongue-Lashing.” 15 December 2013. Philadelphia Inquirer. http://mobile.philly.com/news/opinion?wss=/philly/opinion&id=235822231
“They Tried to Fix Me With Cricket Bats.” Into the Light: A Series on Abuse and the Church. Rachel Held Evans.
“The Legacy of Brandon Bitner.” Tampa Bay Times. 30 March 2013.
“Privacy Laws Shield Bullies.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 23 January 2013.
“There’s No Greater Threat to America’s Children than Climate Change.” Harrisburg Patriot-News. 2 January 2013.
“Brandon Bitner’s Story.” Your Teen. 20 September 2012.
“Six Things Parents Can Learn From an Adult Survivor of Homophobic Bullying.” 31 January 2012.
“South Africans Brace for Possible Step Backward.” Harrisburg Patriot-News. 22 January 2012. http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2012/01/south_africans_brace_for_possi.html >
“Ex-gay versus Trans.” St. Petersburg Times. August 14, 2011.
“Seven Things I’ve Learned So Far.” Writer’s Digest. 19 April 2011.
“On Being a Minority, Hazed.” St. Petersburg Times. October 3, 2010.
“Arizona Flirts With Apartheid.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. August 1, 2010. < http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10213/1076466-109.stm>
“Populist Backlash Related to the Economy.” Harrisburg Patriot-News. August 22, 2010.
“Learning to Live With Pride.” Harrisburg Patriot-News. July 26, 2009.
“Still a Long Way to the Dream.” Harrisburg Patriot-News. November 16, 2008. “Reflections Upon Finding the Holy Grail.” Inside Higher Ed. September 7, 2007.
Publications/Fiction:
Short Stories:
“The Bottle in the Vegetable Garden.” The Greensboro Review 77 (Spring 2005). Greensboro, North Carolina.
“A Few Simple Things.” Mangrove 13 (2004). Miami, Florida.
“Angola’s Mad Boer Witchdoctor.” Donga 8. March 2003.
“The News About Bertus.” High Grade 1 (Spring 2001). Golden, Colorado.
“The Castle.” New Contrast 99 (1997). Cape Town, South Africa. New Contrast is the flagship South African literary journal whose list of contributors includes all of the top names in South African creative writing. —–. James White Review 14.3 (1997). Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“Comrades.” Tribute (Sep 1998 and Oct 1998). Johannesburg, South Africa. —–. The Higginsville Reader. Spring 1999. Three Bridges, New Jersey.
Publications/Literary Criticism:
“Memoir Form and Ethics in the Age of the Oprah Book Club.” Florida Review 35.2 (Winter 2010): 135-40.
“Homoeroticism and the Failure of African Nationalism in Ayi Kwi Armah’s The Beautyful Ones.” Research in African Literatures 40.3 (August 2009): 62-73.
“Heartfelt Horrors: Africa, racial difference and the quest for moral enlightenment in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Rian Malan’s My Traitor’s Heart.” Conradiana 36.3 (2004): 225-243.
“Imagism and Black South African Poetry: Mongane Wally Serote’s Yakhal’inkomo.” English Studies in Africa 42.2 (March 2000): 31-48.
Publications/Diversity Studies:
Books:
Policing the Perverts: an exploratory investigation of the nature and social impact of police action towards gay and bisexual men in South Africa. Research report, Institute of Criminology, U of Cape Town, 1993.
Essays and Papers:
“Keeping Sodom out of the Laager: State repression of homosexuality in apartheid South Africa.” Defiant Desire: Gay and Lesbian Lives in South Africa. Ed. Mark Gevisser and Edwin Cameron. New York: Routledge, 1995. 99-111.
“Sexual stigma, sexual disempowerment and the development of a pragmatic AIDS education policy for children not in school.” Cape Town : Institute of Criminology, University of Cape Town, 1992. Occasional Papers Series.
Published Interviews:
“Glen Retief: Featured Author.” Interview with Rebecca DeSensi. Jelly Bucket. Winter 2012-13. Richmond, KY: Bluegrasss Writers Studio.
“GetPublished: An Open Book.” Interview with Get It: Lowveld. August 2012. Print. Mbombela, Mpumlanga, South Africa, p. 86.
Interview with Charles Dyer. Conversations with Charlie Dyer. KNEWS: Palm Springs, CA. 19 September 2011. Radio.
“A Gay Childhood in Apartheid South Africa: The Jack Bank by Glen Retief.” Spirit in Action. Northern Spirit Radio. Broadcast on 13 different NPR stations in Wisconsin. 27 Aug 2011.
“Memoirist Glen Retief.” Interview with Barbara DeMarco Barrett. Writers on Writing. KUCI-FM, Orange County, CA. 20 July 2011. http://writersonwriting.blogspot.com/2011/07/memoirist-glen-retief.html> Radio.
“Q and A with Glen Retief, Author of The Jack Bank.” Interview with Barbara De Marco Barrett. Pen on Fire. 28 July 2011.
“Glen Retief: Coming of Age in South Africa.” Interview with Nina Herzog. Lambda Literary. 13 May 2011. < http://www.lambdaliterary.org/features/05/13/glen-retief-south-african-childhood/> Print/Web.
“Travel Writing in South Africa.” Interview with Mark Wallace. SmartTalk. WITF-Harrisburg. 12 May 2011.
“Glen Retief.” Interview with Chris Hooker. WQSU-Selinsgrove. 4 May 2011. Radio. Interview with Erica Funk. Artscene. WVIA-Wilkes-Barre. 26 April 2011.
“Author to Speak About Growing Up Gay in South Africa.” Interview with Elizabeth Haydu. Collegiate Times. 19 April 2011. Blacksburg, VA. Print/Web.
“What Glen Retief Knows.” Interview with Oronte Churm. Inside Higher Ed. 17 Feb 2011.
Media Appearances/Reviews of The Jack Bank:
Rawls, Kristen. “Twelve Electrifying Memoirs or Biographies You Might Have Missed.” Christian Science Monitor. Accessed 6 March 2013.
Miami: The University of Miami magazine. “Write of Passage.” Spring 2012.
Musiitwa, Daniel. “The Jack Bank: A Memoir of a South African Childhood.” 1 October 2011. Africa Book Club. http://www.africabookclub.com/?p=5901 Web.
Bartkevicius, Jocelyn. Florida Review. Forthcoming. Book review: The Jack Bank. Print.
Fourth Genre. Forthcoming. Book review: The Jack Bank. Print.
Gladstone, Jim. “Travel Bound.” Passport, August 2011. Print/web. New York, NY. Print/web.
Canning, Richard. “The Closet as an Extreme Sport.” The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide 18.3 (May-June 2011): 37-39.
Odden, Karen. “Glen Retief: The Jack Bank: A Memoir of a South African Childhood.” LoveBooksAZ. Web. 15 June 2011. < http://lovebooksaz.blogspot.com/2011/06/glen-retief-jack-bank-memoir-of-south.html>
Labonte, Richard. “Book Marks.” Outlook: Columbus. 13 June 2011. Print/web.
Duvernay, Denise. “The Jack Bank: Memoir of a South African Childhood, by Glen Retief. Book Review.” More Book Reviews. 30 May 2011. Web.
Gladstone, Jim. “The Jack Bank by Glen Retief.” EDGE Publications. 9 May 2011. Print/web.
“The Jack Bank by Glen Retief.” Band of Thebes. 27 April 2011. Web.
“The Jack Bank: Glen Retief. St. Martin’s Press.” Instinct. April 2011. Print. Hollywood, CA. p. 25 Lassen, Amos.
“The Jack Bank: A Memoir of a South African Childhood. Race, Sexuality, and Violence.” Reviews by Amos Lassen. 18 April 2011. Web.
“Book: The Jack Bank, by Glen Retief.” Advocate.com. 16 April 2011. Web.
Rochman, Hazel. “The Jack Bank: A Memoir of a South African Childhood. Retief, Glen (Author).” Booklist. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 1 March 2011. Print.
“Nonfiction Review: The Jack Bank: A Memoir of a South African Childhood.” Publishers Weekly. 21 February 2011. Print/Web. < http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-312-59093-2>
Violette, Richard J. “Retief, Glen. The Jack Bank: A Memoir of a South African Childhood.” Library Journal. 1 February 2011. Print/web.
“The Jack Bank.” Kirkus Reviews. 15 January 2011. Print/Web.
Media Appearances/Miscellaneous (Selected):
“Lost and Found: Teen Tragedy Brings New Meaning to Professor’s Memoir.” Susquehanna Currents. Fall 2012. < http://mwv.352396.com/about/44728.asp?print=1>
“Author Receives Year-End Award.” Williamsport Sun-Gazette. 3 June 2012.
“Take a Stand Against Bullying: Susquehanna Professor Releases Memoir of his South African Childhood.” Williamsport Sun-Gazette. 3 June 2012.
“SU Professor Launches Book At Credit Union.” Daily Item. 25 April 2012.
Hawbaker, Jenny Ruth. “All Roads Lead to Susquehanna.” Susquehanna Currents (Fall 2011). 5-9.
“Word of the Day.” Merriam-Webster. June 2, 2011.
Gaffney, Larry. “Art and Activism: Motivating Students to Take a Stand.” Susquehanna Currents (Spring 2010). < http://mwv.352396.com/about/33091.asp>
Kidd, Victoria & Tadros, Billie. “Travel Writing in South Africa: For one professor, it will be a homecoming.” Susquehanna Currents (Summer 2009). <http://mwv.352396.com/about/29798.asp>
Conference Papers and Presentations:
“Genderfluidity in the creative writing workshop.” Associated Writing Programs, Los Angeles, CA. 30 April-2 May 2016.
“Title IX mandatory reporting in the memoir classroom.” Associated Writing Programs, Los Angeles, CA. 30 April-2 May 2016.
“Nurturing the Memoir of Political Witness,” Associated Writing Programs, Minneapolis, MN. 11 April 2015.
“Terries, Tapeworms, and Tree Frogs, Oh My!” Symposium on Gender and Sexuality in Southern Africa, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. 6 November 6, 2014.
“Writing for America and Beyond,” South African Book Fair, Cape Town, South Africa. 14 June 2014.
“I am Myself Through Others: Publication as Connection and Community.” Keynote address. Danville, IL: College Student Literary Magazine Conference, 4 November 2011.
“Memoir Form and Ethics in the Age of the Oprah Book Club.” Denver, CO: Associated Writing Programs, 10 April 2010.
“Leveraging the Ph.D. in Creative Writing to Gain the Best Possible Opportunities in the Academic Job Market.” Denver, CO: Associated Writing Programs, 8 April 2010.
“Selecting Best Editors and Pieces for An Undergraduate Literary Journal.” Chicago, IL: Associated Writing Programs conference, 13 February 2009. With SU students Sumerly Buccino and Silvana Alfonso.
“Kitsch and the Art of Wildlife Painting.” Vermilion, SD: John R. Milton Writers Conference, 27 October 2007.
“Homoeroticism and the Failure of African Nationalism in Ayi Kwi Armah’s The Beautyful Ones.” Savannah, GA: British Commonwealth and Postcolonial Studies Conference, 17 February 2007.
Readings and Lectures/Off-Campus:
The Jack Bank. Goucher University Frontiers Visiting Author Series. October 10, 2012.
The Jack Bank. UU Book Club. Northumberland, PA. September 5, 2012.
The Jack Bank. Integrity Book Club. Memphis, TN. March 6, 2012.
“Common Myths About Bullying.” Bullying Prevention Week Reading and Lecture. Lock Haven University, Lock Haven, PA. September 27, 2012.
Lambda Literary Award Reading. Bluestocking Books, New York City. May 11, 2012.
The Jack Bank: Selections. Cherry Alley Café, Lewisburg, PA. April 27, 2012.
The Jack Bank. Paperback Launch. Service 1st Federal Credit Union. Shamokin Dam, PA. April 26, 2012.
“Best Friends.” Integrity Book Group Visiting Writers Series. Memphis, TN. March 10, 2012.
The Jack Bank. Clayton State University Visiting Writers Series. Atlanta, GA. February 16, 2011.
The Jack Bank. Eastern Kentucky University Masters in Fine Arts Visiting Writer Series. Lexington, KY. January 3, 2012.
The Jack Bank, Marble Collegiate Church. November 2. 2011.
The Jack Bank. Goucher College Visiting Writer Series. Towson, MD. October 11, 2011.
The Jack Bank. Warehouse Visiting Writer Series at Florida State University. Tallahassee, FL. September 13, 2011.
“The Weight of Elephants.” Reading and Q and A. Barnes and Noble. Hartford, CT. August 4, 2011.
“Best Friends.” Reading and Q and A. CampOut Annual Conference. Allentown, PA. July 15, 2011.
“Them and Me.” Reading and Q and A. Friends General Conference/Quakerbooks Reading Series. Grinnell, IA. July 5, 2011.
“The Jack Bank.” Reading and Q and A.
Wild Goose Festival: Spirituality. Justice. Music. Art. Raleigh, NC: June 25, 2011.
“A Man of Extraordinary Taste.” Reading and Q and A. Wild Ibis Books Reading Series. Gainesville, FL: June 21, 2011.
“Them and Me.” Reading and Q and A. EKU Crabbe Library. Richmond, KY. June 16, 2011.
“The Weight of Elephants.” Reading and Q and A. Barnes and Noble. Columbus, OH. June 14, 2011.
“Them and Me.” Reading and Q and A. Beth-El Synagogue Adult Education. Sunbury, PA. June 5, 2011.
“The Weight of Elephants.” Reading and Q and A. Atomic Books Reading Series. Baltimore, MD. May 26, 2011.
“A Man of Extraordinary Taste.” Reading and Q and A. With Peterson Toscano. William Penn House. Washington, DC. May 25, 2011.
“Them and Me.” Midtown Scholar Reading Series. Sponsored by LGBT Community Center Coalition of Central PA. Harrisburg, PA. April 30, 2011.
The Jack Bank. Under the Radar: Virginia Tech Reading Series. Blacksburg, VA.: April 21, 2011.
“A sexual orientation non-discrimination clause in the post-apartheid Bill of Rights.” Kvinnerettigheter og homotoleranse. Norges nye eksportvarer?, Skeivt Adademic Forum; Norwegian Foreign Ministry, Oslo, Norway. (March 9, 2010).
“Reflections on the Meaning of Pride.” Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Susquehanna Valley, Northumberland, PA. June 21, 2009.
“A Man of Extraordinary Taste.” Ikon Discussion Forum on Theology and Literature, Belfast, Northern Ireland. May 27, 2009.
“Discoveries: Readings by Two Queer Quakers.” Hartford Friends Meeting. October 11, 2008.
“Best Friends.” PRISM of the Susquehanna Valley, Lewisburg, PA. September 26, 2008.
“The Jack Bank.” Snyder County Arts Council, Selinsgrove, PA. May 2, 2008.
Readings and Lectures/On-Campus:
The Jack Bank. Lecture and Reading, Tom Bailey’s Living Writers class, Spring 2012.
“Memory and Imagination in Memoir.” SU Faculty Colloquium. March 26, 2012.
The Jack Bank. Susquehanna University Library Alumni Homecoming Reading. September 17, 2011.
“The Killer’s Nephew.” Writers’ Institute Faculty Reading. Fall 2011.
“The Weight of Elephants.” Reading. Writers’ Institute Summer Camp. Summer 2011.
“The Castle.” Faculty Reading. Writers Institute, Isaacs Hall. April 27, 2011.
“A Man of Extraordinary Taste.” Writers’ Institute Summer Camp. Summer 2010.
“The Jack Bank.” Reading and Lecture. Silas Zobal’s Literature and Culture class. Fall 2011. —. Tom Bailey’s Literature and Culture Class. Fall 2009. —. Silas Zobal’s Literature and Culture class. Fall 2009. —. Tom Bailey’s Literature and Culture Class. Fall 2008.
“The book publishing process.” Joe Scapellato’s Editing and Publishing class. April 29, 2010.
“Writing as a Spiritual Practice,” Writers Institute & others, Danville Retreat Center. April 18, 2010.
“Writing The Jack Bank.” Arts, Humanities, and Communications School Luncheon Series. April 1, 2011.
“Them and Me.” Writers’ Institute Faculty Reading. Fall 2009. “Sexual Diversity in Residence Halls.” Residence Life R.A. Training. Fall 2009.
“Truth in Memoir.” Reading and Lecture. Gary Fincke’s Memoir Class. Spring 2009.
“A Man of Extraordinary Taste.” Writers’ Institute Summer Camp. Summer 2009.
“Tips for Making a Success of Your First Year at SU.” Lecture. New Faculty Orientation. Fall 2008.
“Sexual Diversity in Residence Halls.” Residence Life R.A. Training. Fall 2008.
“Silence in Daily Life.” Lecture. Weber Meditation Chapel. Fall 2008.
“The Art of Memoir.” Common Reading Faculty Discussion. Summer 2008.
“The Lions on the Basketball Courts.” Reading. Writers’ Institute Summer Camp. Summer 2008.
“Homophobia, Heterosexism, and the SU Mission Statement.” Lecture. Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Annual Colloquium. Spring 2008.
“Housework in South Africa.” Community panel on housework across cultures, organized by Lynn Palermo. Spring 2008.
“Intimacies.” Writers’ Institute Faculty Reading. Fall 2007.
“HIV Prevention Strategies For a Liberal Arts College.” Residence Life. Fall 2007.
“Should You Go to Graduate School?” Presentation to SU English and Creative Writing students. Fall 2007.
Unpublished Proposals:
Book Proposal:
Dreams Are Also Wounds: A Tribute to Breyten Breytenbach. With Carolyn Forché. Never published, due to difficulties obtaining copyright permissions.
Magazine Article Proposals (selected):
Desert Apartheid. A magazine article proposal about Arizona anti-immigrant laws, widely submitted to mainstream commercial magazines by Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.
Sudden Death Playoff: The World Cup, Global Sex Tourism, and a Sub-Saharan Pandemic. A magazine article proposal about South Africa’s AIDS epidemic and the World Cup, widely submitted to mainstream commercial magazines by Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.
HONORS, AWARDS, AND GRANTS
July 2012. Faculty Research Assistance Award, Lutheran Colleges Consortium. For Tsafendas’ Son: A Historical Novel.
June 2012. Lambda Literary Award for Gay Memoir/Biography. For The Jack Bank.
May 2012. Susquehanna University Teaching Award.
February 2012. Africa Book Club Book of 2011. For The Jack Bank.
2011. Israel Fishman Nonfiction Book Award of American Library Association (nomination). For The Jack Bank.
2011. Faculty Research Minigrant, Susquehanna University, for Tsafendas’ Son: A Historical Novel
2009. Faculty Research Grant, Susquehanna University, for The Jack Bank: A Memoir.
2000-2003. Florida State University Fellowship, the university’s highest award for graduate students.
2000. Associated Writing Programs Intro Journals Award for Creative Nonfiction for “The Chameleon’s Home Country.”
1999. Florida State University College Teaching fellowship and Arts and Sciences Merit award for incoming students.
1999. University of Miami Fiction Prize. 1999. University of Miami Academic Writing Prize.
1999. Nomination of short story “The Castle” for a Pushcart Prize.
1997-1999. James A. Michener Writing Fellowship.
Prior Teaching Experience:
Visiting Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing, 2006-2007. Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky
Courses: Composition, World Literature Survey, Creative Nonfiction (graduate and undergraduate), Introduction to Creative Writing.
Committee Work: Social; MFA planning.
Responsibilities: effective teaching; publishing of creative writing and scholarship; university and other community service. Assisted with creating a new low-residency MFA program at Eastern Kentucky University, including: planning a reading series; setting tuition and course fees; marketing and outreach; clarifying entrance criteria, academic performance, and graduation requirements; facilitating productive relationships with other departments and arts organizations on campus. Took primary responsibility for developing an interdisciplinary course with Computer Science on videogame scriptwriting.
English teacher, 2003-2006. Academic Center, Miami Country Day School, Miami, Florida.
Courses: World Literature 10th grade, Language Arts Seminar 11th grade.
Responsibilities: Teach literature and writing to students who have strong IQ’s, but who are diagnosed with a range of learning differences that required innovative and alternative modes of instruction
ESL instructor, 2002-2003 English Language Academy, Madrid, Spain
Teaching assistant, 1999 - 2002. Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.
Courses: Postcolonial Literature in English; Introduction to Fiction Technique; Article and Essay workshop; First Year Writing About Literature; First Year Composition and Rhetoric.
Teaching assistant, 1997-1999. University of Miami, Miami, Florida.
Courses: Introduction to Creative Writing; First Year Writing About Literature; First Year Composition and Rhetoric. Also worked in the university Writing Center.
English Instructor, 1994-1995 Housing Works Job Training Program, 594 Broadway, New York City.
Taught college-level writing and literature classes to formerly homeless adults living with AIDS and HIV.
High School Mathematics and English Instructor, 1993 Damelin College, Nelspruit, South Africa
Glen Retief’s The Jack Bank: A Memoir of a South African Childhood (St. Martin’s Press, April 2011) won a Lambda Literary Award and was selected as an Africa Book Club Book of 2011.
Glen has published more than a dozen short stories, memoirs, and travel essays in respected literary journals, including TriQuarterly, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Massachusetts Review, and the South African flagship journal New Contrast. He has also published more than twenty short personal essays in newspapers like The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Inside Higher Ed.
- ENGL-100: Writing and Thinking
- ENGL-240: Literary Themes
- ENGL-250: World Literature
- ENGL-265: Critical Surveys in Forms of Writing
- ENGL-540: Internship
- HONS-200: Thought and Civilization
- OFFP-SAFRICA: Travel Writing in South Africa
- OFFR-SAFRICA: Travel Writing in South Africa
- OFFS-SAFRICA: Travel Writing in South Africa
- WRIT-200: Intro to Creative Writing
- WRIT-253: Introduction to Creative Nonfiction
- WRIT-353: Intermediate Nonfiction
- WRIT-453: Advanced Creative Nonfiction
- WRIT-500: Independent Study
- WRIT-520: Practicum
- WRIT-540: Internship
About Me
Glen Retief grew up in a South African game park during the apartheid era, but emigrated to the U.S. in 1994. His memoir, The Jack Bank (SMP, 2011) won a Lambda Literary Award and was selected as a Book of 2011 by the Africa Book Club.
Retief’s essays and short stories have appeared in numerous publications and journals, including Virginia Quarterly Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, Kenyon Review, and Yale Review, He writes an occasional column of creative nonfiction for the South African Daily Maverick newspaper.
Retief mostly teaches creative nonfiction classes at Susquehanna University. Once every other year or so, he also takes students to his native South Africa to visit a rural, Xhosa seaside village and a Cape Town Muslim community, and to turn their experiences into travel essays.
From 2001 to 2002, he served as a Fulbright Scholar in Mamelodi, South Africa, where he helped develop a creative writing-based curriculum to build academic skills and motivation for underprivileged high school students.
Professional Experience
EDUCATION
Florida State University, Doctor of Philosophy in English, 2005
Major Area: History of the Novel
Minor Area: Postcolonial Literature
Dissertation: The Chameleon’s Home Country, a collection of personal essays about art, literature, politics, apartheid and sexuality.
Dissertation Director: Mark Winegardner
Committee: Robert Olen Butler, Hunt Hawkins, Neil Jumonville
University of Miami, Master of Fine Arts in English, 1999
Major Area: Fiction
Thesis: novel
Thesis Director: Evelyn Mayersohn
University of Cape Town, Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in African Studies, 1992
Major: English Minor: Criminology
University of Cape Town, Bachelor of Arts in English, 1990
Major: English
Minor: Mathematics
CREATIVE WORK AND SCHOLARSHIP
Publications/Creative Nonfiction:
Books
The Jack Bank. St. Martin’s Press: New York. April 2011. Memoir.
Personal Essays:
“On the Virtues of New and Old Shoes.” TriQuarterly (147). www.triquarterly.org/issues/issue-147/virtues-old-and-new-shoes
“48 Hours in the Susquehanna Valley.” Susquehanna Life. Lewisburg, PA. Spring 2013.
“The Rival With a Thousand Faces.” In: Ed: Paul Fahey. The Other Man. JMS Books: Glen Allen, VA. September 2013.
“Friendly Vitality: Diary of a Quaking FGC-er.” Personal Essay/Satire. Audio. In: “The Quakers Are Coming: FGC Gathering, 2011.” QuakerQuaker web site. August 4, 2011. < http://www.quakerquaker.org/profiles/blogs/the-quakers-are-coming-fgc-gathering-2011>
“Glen Retief Takes Creative Writing Students to South Africa.” Personal Essay/Pedagogy–Audio. Radio Free AWP/InsideHigherEd.com. 2 Feb 2011. <http://www.insidehighered.com/audio/awp_audio/glen_retief_takes_american_creative_writing_students_to_africa>
“The Jack Bank.” Virginia Quarterly Review (Spring 2008). Charlottesville, VA.
“The Karma of Violence.” Hotel Amerika 7.1 (Fall 2008). Chicago, IL.
“Saudade.” New Contrast 131&132 (Autumn 2006). Cape Town, South Africa. —–. Cold Mountain Review 37.1 (Fall 2008). Boone, NC.
“Intimacies: Reflections on sex, love and marriage.” Fugue 28 (Winter 2004-05). Moscow, Idaho.
“Kitsch and the Art of Wildlife Painting.” Massachusetts Review 44.4 (Winter 2003-2004). Amherst, Massachusetts.
“The Chameleon’s Home Country.” Puerto del Sol 37.2 (February 2002). Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Shorter Personal and Opinion Essays in Newspapers, Magazines, and Web Sites (selected):
“Charleston Killings Evoke Massacre in South Africa.” 22 June 2015. Philadelphia Inquirer. http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/thinktank/Charleston-killings-echo-massacre-in-S-Africa.html
“The Day Mandela Gave Me a Tongue-Lashing.” 15 December 2013. Philadelphia Inquirer. http://mobile.philly.com/news/opinion?wss=/philly/opinion&id=235822231
“They Tried to Fix Me With Cricket Bats.” Into the Light: A Series on Abuse and the Church. Rachel Held Evans.
“The Legacy of Brandon Bitner.” Tampa Bay Times. 30 March 2013.
“Privacy Laws Shield Bullies.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 23 January 2013.
“There’s No Greater Threat to America’s Children than Climate Change.” Harrisburg Patriot-News. 2 January 2013.
“Brandon Bitner’s Story.” Your Teen. 20 September 2012.
“Six Things Parents Can Learn From an Adult Survivor of Homophobic Bullying.” 31 January 2012.
“South Africans Brace for Possible Step Backward.” Harrisburg Patriot-News. 22 January 2012. http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2012/01/south_africans_brace_for_possi.html >
“Ex-gay versus Trans.” St. Petersburg Times. August 14, 2011.
“Seven Things I’ve Learned So Far.” Writer’s Digest. 19 April 2011.
“On Being a Minority, Hazed.” St. Petersburg Times. October 3, 2010.
“Arizona Flirts With Apartheid.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. August 1, 2010. < http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10213/1076466-109.stm>
“Populist Backlash Related to the Economy.” Harrisburg Patriot-News. August 22, 2010.
“Learning to Live With Pride.” Harrisburg Patriot-News. July 26, 2009.
“Still a Long Way to the Dream.” Harrisburg Patriot-News. November 16, 2008. “Reflections Upon Finding the Holy Grail.” Inside Higher Ed. September 7, 2007.
Publications/Fiction:
Short Stories:
“The Bottle in the Vegetable Garden.” The Greensboro Review 77 (Spring 2005). Greensboro, North Carolina.
“A Few Simple Things.” Mangrove 13 (2004). Miami, Florida.
“Angola’s Mad Boer Witchdoctor.” Donga 8. March 2003.
“The News About Bertus.” High Grade 1 (Spring 2001). Golden, Colorado.
“The Castle.” New Contrast 99 (1997). Cape Town, South Africa. New Contrast is the flagship South African literary journal whose list of contributors includes all of the top names in South African creative writing. —–. James White Review 14.3 (1997). Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“Comrades.” Tribute (Sep 1998 and Oct 1998). Johannesburg, South Africa. —–. The Higginsville Reader. Spring 1999. Three Bridges, New Jersey.
Publications/Literary Criticism:
“Memoir Form and Ethics in the Age of the Oprah Book Club.” Florida Review 35.2 (Winter 2010): 135-40.
“Homoeroticism and the Failure of African Nationalism in Ayi Kwi Armah’s The Beautyful Ones.” Research in African Literatures 40.3 (August 2009): 62-73.
“Heartfelt Horrors: Africa, racial difference and the quest for moral enlightenment in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Rian Malan’s My Traitor’s Heart.” Conradiana 36.3 (2004): 225-243.
“Imagism and Black South African Poetry: Mongane Wally Serote’s Yakhal’inkomo.” English Studies in Africa 42.2 (March 2000): 31-48.
Publications/Diversity Studies:
Books:
Policing the Perverts: an exploratory investigation of the nature and social impact of police action towards gay and bisexual men in South Africa. Research report, Institute of Criminology, U of Cape Town, 1993.
Essays and Papers:
“Keeping Sodom out of the Laager: State repression of homosexuality in apartheid South Africa.” Defiant Desire: Gay and Lesbian Lives in South Africa. Ed. Mark Gevisser and Edwin Cameron. New York: Routledge, 1995. 99-111.
“Sexual stigma, sexual disempowerment and the development of a pragmatic AIDS education policy for children not in school.” Cape Town : Institute of Criminology, University of Cape Town, 1992. Occasional Papers Series.
Published Interviews:
“Glen Retief: Featured Author.” Interview with Rebecca DeSensi. Jelly Bucket. Winter 2012-13. Richmond, KY: Bluegrasss Writers Studio.
“GetPublished: An Open Book.” Interview with Get It: Lowveld. August 2012. Print. Mbombela, Mpumlanga, South Africa, p. 86.
Interview with Charles Dyer. Conversations with Charlie Dyer. KNEWS: Palm Springs, CA. 19 September 2011. Radio.
“A Gay Childhood in Apartheid South Africa: The Jack Bank by Glen Retief.” Spirit in Action. Northern Spirit Radio. Broadcast on 13 different NPR stations in Wisconsin. 27 Aug 2011.
“Memoirist Glen Retief.” Interview with Barbara DeMarco Barrett. Writers on Writing. KUCI-FM, Orange County, CA. 20 July 2011. http://writersonwriting.blogspot.com/2011/07/memoirist-glen-retief.html> Radio.
“Q and A with Glen Retief, Author of The Jack Bank.” Interview with Barbara De Marco Barrett. Pen on Fire. 28 July 2011.
“Glen Retief: Coming of Age in South Africa.” Interview with Nina Herzog. Lambda Literary. 13 May 2011. < http://www.lambdaliterary.org/features/05/13/glen-retief-south-african-childhood/> Print/Web.
“Travel Writing in South Africa.” Interview with Mark Wallace. SmartTalk. WITF-Harrisburg. 12 May 2011.
“Glen Retief.” Interview with Chris Hooker. WQSU-Selinsgrove. 4 May 2011. Radio. Interview with Erica Funk. Artscene. WVIA-Wilkes-Barre. 26 April 2011.
“Author to Speak About Growing Up Gay in South Africa.” Interview with Elizabeth Haydu. Collegiate Times. 19 April 2011. Blacksburg, VA. Print/Web.
“What Glen Retief Knows.” Interview with Oronte Churm. Inside Higher Ed. 17 Feb 2011.
Media Appearances/Reviews of The Jack Bank:
Rawls, Kristen. “Twelve Electrifying Memoirs or Biographies You Might Have Missed.” Christian Science Monitor. Accessed 6 March 2013.
Miami: The University of Miami magazine. “Write of Passage.” Spring 2012.
Musiitwa, Daniel. “The Jack Bank: A Memoir of a South African Childhood.” 1 October 2011. Africa Book Club. http://www.africabookclub.com/?p=5901 Web.
Bartkevicius, Jocelyn. Florida Review. Forthcoming. Book review: The Jack Bank. Print.
Fourth Genre. Forthcoming. Book review: The Jack Bank. Print.
Gladstone, Jim. “Travel Bound.” Passport, August 2011. Print/web. New York, NY. Print/web.
Canning, Richard. “The Closet as an Extreme Sport.” The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide 18.3 (May-June 2011): 37-39.
Odden, Karen. “Glen Retief: The Jack Bank: A Memoir of a South African Childhood.” LoveBooksAZ. Web. 15 June 2011. < http://lovebooksaz.blogspot.com/2011/06/glen-retief-jack-bank-memoir-of-south.html>
Labonte, Richard. “Book Marks.” Outlook: Columbus. 13 June 2011. Print/web.
Duvernay, Denise. “The Jack Bank: Memoir of a South African Childhood, by Glen Retief. Book Review.” More Book Reviews. 30 May 2011. Web.
Gladstone, Jim. “The Jack Bank by Glen Retief.” EDGE Publications. 9 May 2011. Print/web.
“The Jack Bank by Glen Retief.” Band of Thebes. 27 April 2011. Web.
“The Jack Bank: Glen Retief. St. Martin’s Press.” Instinct. April 2011. Print. Hollywood, CA. p. 25 Lassen, Amos.
“The Jack Bank: A Memoir of a South African Childhood. Race, Sexuality, and Violence.” Reviews by Amos Lassen. 18 April 2011. Web.
“Book: The Jack Bank, by Glen Retief.” Advocate.com. 16 April 2011. Web.
Rochman, Hazel. “The Jack Bank: A Memoir of a South African Childhood. Retief, Glen (Author).” Booklist. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 1 March 2011. Print.
“Nonfiction Review: The Jack Bank: A Memoir of a South African Childhood.” Publishers Weekly. 21 February 2011. Print/Web. < http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-312-59093-2>
Violette, Richard J. “Retief, Glen. The Jack Bank: A Memoir of a South African Childhood.” Library Journal. 1 February 2011. Print/web.
“The Jack Bank.” Kirkus Reviews. 15 January 2011. Print/Web.
Media Appearances/Miscellaneous (Selected):
“Lost and Found: Teen Tragedy Brings New Meaning to Professor’s Memoir.” Susquehanna Currents. Fall 2012. < http://mwv.352396.com/about/44728.asp?print=1>
“Author Receives Year-End Award.” Williamsport Sun-Gazette. 3 June 2012.
“Take a Stand Against Bullying: Susquehanna Professor Releases Memoir of his South African Childhood.” Williamsport Sun-Gazette. 3 June 2012.
“SU Professor Launches Book At Credit Union.” Daily Item. 25 April 2012.
Hawbaker, Jenny Ruth. “All Roads Lead to Susquehanna.” Susquehanna Currents (Fall 2011). 5-9.
“Word of the Day.” Merriam-Webster. June 2, 2011.
Gaffney, Larry. “Art and Activism: Motivating Students to Take a Stand.” Susquehanna Currents (Spring 2010). < http://mwv.352396.com/about/33091.asp>
Kidd, Victoria & Tadros, Billie. “Travel Writing in South Africa: For one professor, it will be a homecoming.” Susquehanna Currents (Summer 2009). <http://mwv.352396.com/about/29798.asp>
Conference Papers and Presentations:
“Genderfluidity in the creative writing workshop.” Associated Writing Programs, Los Angeles, CA. 30 April-2 May 2016.
“Title IX mandatory reporting in the memoir classroom.” Associated Writing Programs, Los Angeles, CA. 30 April-2 May 2016.
“Nurturing the Memoir of Political Witness,” Associated Writing Programs, Minneapolis, MN. 11 April 2015.
“Terries, Tapeworms, and Tree Frogs, Oh My!” Symposium on Gender and Sexuality in Southern Africa, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. 6 November 6, 2014.
“Writing for America and Beyond,” South African Book Fair, Cape Town, South Africa. 14 June 2014.
“I am Myself Through Others: Publication as Connection and Community.” Keynote address. Danville, IL: College Student Literary Magazine Conference, 4 November 2011.
“Memoir Form and Ethics in the Age of the Oprah Book Club.” Denver, CO: Associated Writing Programs, 10 April 2010.
“Leveraging the Ph.D. in Creative Writing to Gain the Best Possible Opportunities in the Academic Job Market.” Denver, CO: Associated Writing Programs, 8 April 2010.
“Selecting Best Editors and Pieces for An Undergraduate Literary Journal.” Chicago, IL: Associated Writing Programs conference, 13 February 2009. With SU students Sumerly Buccino and Silvana Alfonso.
“Kitsch and the Art of Wildlife Painting.” Vermilion, SD: John R. Milton Writers Conference, 27 October 2007.
“Homoeroticism and the Failure of African Nationalism in Ayi Kwi Armah’s The Beautyful Ones.” Savannah, GA: British Commonwealth and Postcolonial Studies Conference, 17 February 2007.
Readings and Lectures/Off-Campus:
The Jack Bank. Goucher University Frontiers Visiting Author Series. October 10, 2012.
The Jack Bank. UU Book Club. Northumberland, PA. September 5, 2012.
The Jack Bank. Integrity Book Club. Memphis, TN. March 6, 2012.
“Common Myths About Bullying.” Bullying Prevention Week Reading and Lecture. Lock Haven University, Lock Haven, PA. September 27, 2012.
Lambda Literary Award Reading. Bluestocking Books, New York City. May 11, 2012.
The Jack Bank: Selections. Cherry Alley Café, Lewisburg, PA. April 27, 2012.
The Jack Bank. Paperback Launch. Service 1st Federal Credit Union. Shamokin Dam, PA. April 26, 2012.
“Best Friends.” Integrity Book Group Visiting Writers Series. Memphis, TN. March 10, 2012.
The Jack Bank. Clayton State University Visiting Writers Series. Atlanta, GA. February 16, 2011.
The Jack Bank. Eastern Kentucky University Masters in Fine Arts Visiting Writer Series. Lexington, KY. January 3, 2012.
The Jack Bank, Marble Collegiate Church. November 2. 2011.
The Jack Bank. Goucher College Visiting Writer Series. Towson, MD. October 11, 2011.
The Jack Bank. Warehouse Visiting Writer Series at Florida State University. Tallahassee, FL. September 13, 2011.
“The Weight of Elephants.” Reading and Q and A. Barnes and Noble. Hartford, CT. August 4, 2011.
“Best Friends.” Reading and Q and A. CampOut Annual Conference. Allentown, PA. July 15, 2011.
“Them and Me.” Reading and Q and A. Friends General Conference/Quakerbooks Reading Series. Grinnell, IA. July 5, 2011.
“The Jack Bank.” Reading and Q and A.
Wild Goose Festival: Spirituality. Justice. Music. Art. Raleigh, NC: June 25, 2011.
“A Man of Extraordinary Taste.” Reading and Q and A. Wild Ibis Books Reading Series. Gainesville, FL: June 21, 2011.
“Them and Me.” Reading and Q and A. EKU Crabbe Library. Richmond, KY. June 16, 2011.
“The Weight of Elephants.” Reading and Q and A. Barnes and Noble. Columbus, OH. June 14, 2011.
“Them and Me.” Reading and Q and A. Beth-El Synagogue Adult Education. Sunbury, PA. June 5, 2011.
“The Weight of Elephants.” Reading and Q and A. Atomic Books Reading Series. Baltimore, MD. May 26, 2011.
“A Man of Extraordinary Taste.” Reading and Q and A. With Peterson Toscano. William Penn House. Washington, DC. May 25, 2011.
“Them and Me.” Midtown Scholar Reading Series. Sponsored by LGBT Community Center Coalition of Central PA. Harrisburg, PA. April 30, 2011.
The Jack Bank. Under the Radar: Virginia Tech Reading Series. Blacksburg, VA.: April 21, 2011.
“A sexual orientation non-discrimination clause in the post-apartheid Bill of Rights.” Kvinnerettigheter og homotoleranse. Norges nye eksportvarer?, Skeivt Adademic Forum; Norwegian Foreign Ministry, Oslo, Norway. (March 9, 2010).
“Reflections on the Meaning of Pride.” Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Susquehanna Valley, Northumberland, PA. June 21, 2009.
“A Man of Extraordinary Taste.” Ikon Discussion Forum on Theology and Literature, Belfast, Northern Ireland. May 27, 2009.
“Discoveries: Readings by Two Queer Quakers.” Hartford Friends Meeting. October 11, 2008.
“Best Friends.” PRISM of the Susquehanna Valley, Lewisburg, PA. September 26, 2008.
“The Jack Bank.” Snyder County Arts Council, Selinsgrove, PA. May 2, 2008.
Readings and Lectures/On-Campus:
The Jack Bank. Lecture and Reading, Tom Bailey’s Living Writers class, Spring 2012.
“Memory and Imagination in Memoir.” SU Faculty Colloquium. March 26, 2012.
The Jack Bank. Susquehanna University Library Alumni Homecoming Reading. September 17, 2011.
“The Killer’s Nephew.” Writers’ Institute Faculty Reading. Fall 2011.
“The Weight of Elephants.” Reading. Writers’ Institute Summer Camp. Summer 2011.
“The Castle.” Faculty Reading. Writers Institute, Isaacs Hall. April 27, 2011.
“A Man of Extraordinary Taste.” Writers’ Institute Summer Camp. Summer 2010.
“The Jack Bank.” Reading and Lecture. Silas Zobal’s Literature and Culture class. Fall 2011. —. Tom Bailey’s Literature and Culture Class. Fall 2009. —. Silas Zobal’s Literature and Culture class. Fall 2009. —. Tom Bailey’s Literature and Culture Class. Fall 2008.
“The book publishing process.” Joe Scapellato’s Editing and Publishing class. April 29, 2010.
“Writing as a Spiritual Practice,” Writers Institute & others, Danville Retreat Center. April 18, 2010.
“Writing The Jack Bank.” Arts, Humanities, and Communications School Luncheon Series. April 1, 2011.
“Them and Me.” Writers’ Institute Faculty Reading. Fall 2009. “Sexual Diversity in Residence Halls.” Residence Life R.A. Training. Fall 2009.
“Truth in Memoir.” Reading and Lecture. Gary Fincke’s Memoir Class. Spring 2009.
“A Man of Extraordinary Taste.” Writers’ Institute Summer Camp. Summer 2009.
“Tips for Making a Success of Your First Year at SU.” Lecture. New Faculty Orientation. Fall 2008.
“Sexual Diversity in Residence Halls.” Residence Life R.A. Training. Fall 2008.
“Silence in Daily Life.” Lecture. Weber Meditation Chapel. Fall 2008.
“The Art of Memoir.” Common Reading Faculty Discussion. Summer 2008.
“The Lions on the Basketball Courts.” Reading. Writers’ Institute Summer Camp. Summer 2008.
“Homophobia, Heterosexism, and the SU Mission Statement.” Lecture. Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Annual Colloquium. Spring 2008.
“Housework in South Africa.” Community panel on housework across cultures, organized by Lynn Palermo. Spring 2008.
“Intimacies.” Writers’ Institute Faculty Reading. Fall 2007.
“HIV Prevention Strategies For a Liberal Arts College.” Residence Life. Fall 2007.
“Should You Go to Graduate School?” Presentation to SU English and Creative Writing students. Fall 2007.
Unpublished Proposals:
Book Proposal:
Dreams Are Also Wounds: A Tribute to Breyten Breytenbach. With Carolyn Forché. Never published, due to difficulties obtaining copyright permissions.
Magazine Article Proposals (selected):
Desert Apartheid. A magazine article proposal about Arizona anti-immigrant laws, widely submitted to mainstream commercial magazines by Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.
Sudden Death Playoff: The World Cup, Global Sex Tourism, and a Sub-Saharan Pandemic. A magazine article proposal about South Africa’s AIDS epidemic and the World Cup, widely submitted to mainstream commercial magazines by Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.
HONORS, AWARDS, AND GRANTS
July 2012. Faculty Research Assistance Award, Lutheran Colleges Consortium. For Tsafendas’ Son: A Historical Novel.
June 2012. Lambda Literary Award for Gay Memoir/Biography. For The Jack Bank.
May 2012. Susquehanna University Teaching Award.
February 2012. Africa Book Club Book of 2011. For The Jack Bank.
2011. Israel Fishman Nonfiction Book Award of American Library Association (nomination). For The Jack Bank.
2011. Faculty Research Minigrant, Susquehanna University, for Tsafendas’ Son: A Historical Novel
2009. Faculty Research Grant, Susquehanna University, for The Jack Bank: A Memoir.
2000-2003. Florida State University Fellowship, the university’s highest award for graduate students.
2000. Associated Writing Programs Intro Journals Award for Creative Nonfiction for “The Chameleon’s Home Country.”
1999. Florida State University College Teaching fellowship and Arts and Sciences Merit award for incoming students.
1999. University of Miami Fiction Prize. 1999. University of Miami Academic Writing Prize.
1999. Nomination of short story “The Castle” for a Pushcart Prize.
1997-1999. James A. Michener Writing Fellowship.
Prior Teaching Experience:
Visiting Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing, 2006-2007. Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky
Courses: Composition, World Literature Survey, Creative Nonfiction (graduate and undergraduate), Introduction to Creative Writing.
Committee Work: Social; MFA planning.
Responsibilities: effective teaching; publishing of creative writing and scholarship; university and other community service. Assisted with creating a new low-residency MFA program at Eastern Kentucky University, including: planning a reading series; setting tuition and course fees; marketing and outreach; clarifying entrance criteria, academic performance, and graduation requirements; facilitating productive relationships with other departments and arts organizations on campus. Took primary responsibility for developing an interdisciplinary course with Computer Science on videogame scriptwriting.
English teacher, 2003-2006. Academic Center, Miami Country Day School, Miami, Florida.
Courses: World Literature 10th grade, Language Arts Seminar 11th grade.
Responsibilities: Teach literature and writing to students who have strong IQ’s, but who are diagnosed with a range of learning differences that required innovative and alternative modes of instruction
ESL instructor, 2002-2003 English Language Academy, Madrid, Spain
Teaching assistant, 1999 - 2002. Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.
Courses: Postcolonial Literature in English; Introduction to Fiction Technique; Article and Essay workshop; First Year Writing About Literature; First Year Composition and Rhetoric.
Teaching assistant, 1997-1999. University of Miami, Miami, Florida.
Courses: Introduction to Creative Writing; First Year Writing About Literature; First Year Composition and Rhetoric. Also worked in the university Writing Center.
English Instructor, 1994-1995 Housing Works Job Training Program, 594 Broadway, New York City.
Taught college-level writing and literature classes to formerly homeless adults living with AIDS and HIV.
High School Mathematics and English Instructor, 1993 Damelin College, Nelspruit, South Africa
Scholarly & Creative Works
Glen Retief’s The Jack Bank: A Memoir of a South African Childhood (St. Martin’s Press, April 2011) won a Lambda Literary Award and was selected as an Africa Book Club Book of 2011.
Glen has published more than a dozen short stories, memoirs, and travel essays in respected literary journals, including TriQuarterly, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Massachusetts Review, and the South African flagship journal New Contrast. He has also published more than twenty short personal essays in newspapers like The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Inside Higher Ed.