ABOUT . . .
This Site
SOME HISTORY
The first site I created was back in 1997, for the English Department at Eastern Kentucky University, where I had my first full-time teaching position. I did multiple sites for that department, and then branched out into more student-centered sites. I had two popular sites, The World Poetry Audio Library, where students could listen to poems as they read them, and KYLIT, a critical introduction to a number of Kentucky writers. The best thing about KYLIT was the fact that I got to work with George Brosi, who is the single greatest compendium of knowledge about Appalachian Lit, and one of the kindest men I've ever met.
When I came to Georgia Southern in 2007 I created this site for students in my general education classes. But it's grown over the years, and now has sections devoted specifically to English majors, as well as areas addressing academic writing, history, mythical, classical and biblical backgrounds, and graduate studies in our field. But with this revision I've pared it down a bit. I've gone from over 4,000 files to just over 3,500. I've simplified the layout for consistency, and addressed such accessibility and inclusivity issues.
I'm regularly asked why I don't publish more scholarship to advance my career. I respond by pointing to this site. In 2024 this site had over 400,000 unique vistors, and served more than 1.25 million pages to them. If I wrote an article, I'd have maybe 50 people read it, tops. I get far more penetration, and disseminate far more information, with this site than I could ever hope to get by publishing a scholarly article.
Joe
MY STANDARD INTRO
My 18th first day of school at Georgia Southern
I'm Dr. Joe Pellegrino, an Associate Professor in the Department of English. I teach lots of different classes. My specialties are Irish literature and postcolonial literature, so I end up doing classes that don't fit into the standard Brit Lit/American Lit model: Irish lit, African lit, graphic novels, etc.
It seems like I went to school forever, and went to lots of different schools: Duquesne University, St. Louis University, Mannes College of Music, The New England Conservatory, and UNC-Chapel Hill, which is where I did my last degree. I've also taught at a lot of schools: Duquesne, UNC, Eastern Kentucky University, University of South Carolina-Upstate, Greenville Tech, Converse College, and here at Georgia Southern. I've had some experience in online education; while at EKU I was the University Director for the (short-lived) Kentucky Commonwealth Virtual University, and have taught online classes for over 20 years now.
Professionally, I edit a journal, The International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. I'm interested in a number of fields, but most of my publications are either on Irish studies, postcolonial lit, or teaching.
I also work on the British Commonwealth and Postcolonial Studies Conference, the the oldest and longest-running annual meeting of its kind in the United States. Check out that web site; the design is one of my best.
I have only one item on my bucket list: to see the Northern Lights. One day I'll get there, but in the meantime I check in on the site linked here, from the Churchill Northern Studies Center in Churchill, Manitoba. I've got two daughters who are growing in wisdom, beauty, and grace. I make heirloom furniture (pretty much a middle-aged guy cliché), try to keep up with new technology, wish I could spend more time doing music, and constantly work to keep my head above water.
CONTACT: jpellegrino@georgiasouthern.edu
Office:
Room 3308B, Newton Building
912.478.5953
English Department in Statesboro:
Room 1118, Newton Building
622 COBA Drive
Statesboro, GA 30460
912.478.0141
A Bit More
| Peregine—as in the falcon—and | Pilgrim—as in one who travels to a sacred place for religious reasons. |
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| This was my first peregrine. I have seen many since then, but none has excelled it for speed and fire of spirit. For ten years I spent all my winters searching for that restless brilliance, for the sudden passion and violence that peregrines flush from the sky. For ten years I have been looking upward for that cloud-biting anchor shape, that crossbow flinging through the air. The eye becomes insatiable for hawks. It clicks towards them with ecstatic fury, just as the hawk's eye swings and dilates to the luring food-shapes of gull and pigeons.
— J. A. Baker, The Peregrine |
You climbed the hills toward Newtownhamilton Past the Few Forest, out beneath the stars— Along the road, a high, bare pilgrim’s track Where Sweeney fled before the bloodied heads, Goat-beards and dogs’ eyes in a demon pack Blazing out of the ground, snapping and squealing. — Seamus Heaney, "The Strand at Lough Beg" |
These are the opening lines of the aria, "Beautiful as an Angel," in Gaetano Donizetti's Don Pasquale. Dr. Malatesta tells Don Pasquale he has a young bride lined up for him. This song describes her:
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Bella siccome un angelo in terra pellegrino. Fresca siccome il giglio che s'apre in sul mattino. Occhio che parla e ride, sguardo che i cor conquide. Chioma che vince l'ebano sorriso incantator. Sorriso incantator. Alma innocente e candida, che sé medesma ignora; modestia impareggiabile, dolcezza che innamora ai miseri pietosa, gentil, buona, amorosa. Il ciel l'ha fatta nascere per far beato un cor. per far beato un cor. Il ciel l'ha fatta nascere per far beato un cor. Il ciel l'ha fatta nascere per far beato un cor. |
Beautiful as an angel like a pilgrim on earth. Fresh as the lily that opens in the morning. Eyes that speak and laugh, A gaze that conquers hearts. Hair blacker than ebony enchanting smile. Enchanting smile. A soul so innocent and candid, thinks nothing of itself; unparalleled modesty, sweetness that makes you fall in love compassionate to the poor, gentle, good, and loving. Heaven gave her birth to make happy hearts. to make happy hearts. Heaven gave her birth to make happy hearts. Heaven gave her birth to make happy hearts. |
Here's a video of it, sung by Sesto Bruscantini from a 1955 TV movie of Don Pasquale by RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana.