Q&A: Meet Professor Sarah Gates
Meet Your English Mentor
Professor of English Sarah Gates brings a love of classic literature and creative approaches to her teaching, inspiring students to connect deeply with timeless texts. Whether she’s guiding students through Hamlet or The Lord of the Rings, her courses bring older literature to life in fresh and exciting ways.
What’s your favorite class to teach, and why?
How can I choose? I love them all! From Introduction to Poetry to J.R.R. Tolkien to the Survey of British Literature, each course offers something special. I particularly enjoy showing students how literature can feel alive, relevant, and personal—even if it’s hundreds of years old.
How do you make older texts engaging for students?
I use semi-embodied learning to make older works relatable. For example, I have students cast modern actors in Shakespearean roles, imagining how scenes would play out if set at St. Lawrence today. In the Tolkien First-Year Program, students transform a challenging chapter into a script and perform it as a play. These creative exercises help students connect with the material in personal and meaningful ways.
What do you value most about your students?
Their fresh perspectives. Even after teaching a text for decades, my students often notice things I’ve never seen before. Just last week, a student pointed out a symmetry in The Lord of the Rings that I hadn’t considered—it was fantastic! Their insights keep me engaged and constantly learning.
What’s an innovative or unusual course you’ve taught?
The Tolkien courses are especially innovative. They challenge students to think critically about storytelling while exploring rich literary traditions. I also love teaching students how to create their own literary works, such as writing poetry that mirrors the styles we study in Introduction to Poetry. These exercises emphasize the creative process and deepen their understanding of literary techniques.
What surprises students most about you?
Probably that I’m a songwriter and musician! I’ve performed at events like St. Lawrence’s FolkFest. I also share stories about life before the digital age—writing college papers on a manual typewriter or navigating research with a library card catalog. It gives students a glimpse into how much things have changed!
What’s been your proudest moment as a professor?
My proudest moment was watching a student read from the fantasy novel he wrote for his Honors Project. It was a stunning piece of work, and President Morris even called it out in her graduation address. Seeing students reach their creative potential is the highlight of my teaching career.
What’s a favorite alumni success story?
There are so many! One student, an English and business major, now works for the Federal Reserve, a testament to the versatility of an English degree. Another recently published her first short story collection and teaches creative writing at a liberal arts college. And one is an architectural historian in Buffalo, N.Y. They all show how an English degree can lead to diverse and impactful careers.
