Lakeland Mirror

Issue date: 11/1/07 Section: Features

Media Credit: Martha Schott Nate Lowe is the newest addition to Lakeland's writing department.

"I hate the process of writing because it is very hard and time consuming," said Nate Lowe, the new assistant professor of writing, "But I have to write; that's something in my life I have to do. Because of that I like writing. It takes me to places that I didn't realize that I wanted to go. For instance, writing short stories takes me to some places that I had not previously known."
Lowe is currently teaching four classes at Lakeland: two sections of writing workshop and two sections of expository writing. He said that his classes are going quite well and he enjoys teaching his students. He expects his students to read and write a lot. Moreover, he wants them to not only challenge him but also to teach him.
He said, "We are all learning from one another. I want that exchange of ideas and thrive on that. That's why I am at Lakeland College."
He grew up in Illinois. During the past five years, he spent four years in Moscow, Ill. and one year in Seattle with his wife Carrie. He obtained his B.A. in English and his teaching certificate from the University of Iowa. He took some nonfiction writing classes as an undergraduate student and thoroughly enjoyed them. Perhaps his interest to write started at that time. He decided to attend the graduate school at the University of Idaho where he completed his Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.
After graduation, Lowe spent another three years teaching and writing at four different colleges. When he saw the opening for a writing professor online, he knew it was the type of job he was looking for. That's how Lowe came to Lakeland College.
According to Lowe, his inspiration came from one of his mentors in Idaho. He shared one of his favorite expressions: "Don't get it right. Get it written."
He believes that writers should write down whatever comes to their minds rather than spending hours trying to figure out exactly what theywant to say. Then, writers should go back and see how the sentences work together. He also said, "Write, write as much as you can. Don't stop. Just keep going."
Lowe enjoys not only writing, but also reading. He admits that reading inspires his writing. He said, "Whenever I read something, it always makes me put it down and start writing." He believes he always has to read and write, and he can not separate the two. He thinks sometimes his students might wonder why they are reading so much in his writing classes. This is his answer for those students: "If you want to be a writer, your teachers are other writers."
Besides writing and reading, Lowe loves to go hiking and biking. His favorite hobby is fly fishing. He has not tried fishing in the Sheboygan area yet because he has been very busy.
Like everyone at Lakeland, Lowe is excited about Thanksgiving break. Lowe has a special plan to spend his Thanksgiving in Oregon. He looks forward to visiting his two nephews, Henry and Ethan, who are fiveyears old and nine months old, respectively. He has not seen Henry yet. "Henry and his family live in New Zealand, and I wouldn't have many opportunities to spend time with him," added Lowe.
Lowe seems to be fitting at the Lakeland College well. International student Grace Jairo said, "Professor Nate brings things that trigger my brain to work. He does not spoon feed. He lets students work in their own groups, and I like doing group discussion. That's how I learn from other students."

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