The Queer Thing About Florida // Season 4, Episode 4
Episode guest Tyler Gillespie’s most recent publication The Thing about Florida: Exploring a Misunderstood State
On this week’s episode, Jaime speaks with Isom fellow, Tyler Gillespie, an Instructor of Writing and Rhetoric for the FASTrack program, and co-director of the UM Pride Network, about his experiences working as a professional writer, teaching writing, and navigating the classroom as an out queer person.
Listen as Gillespie shares his journey from being a professional writer to discovering an unexpected love for teaching writing to first-year students and the possibility of exposing students to their own unexpected love of writing. Gillespie speaks about his fondness for teaching in the FASTrack program, which focuses on first- generation college students, who often have difficulty otherwise acculturating to campus. He also discusses how his involvement with the UM Pride Network helped him connect with other queer faculty on campus and led to the development of Missy, a literary magazine dedicated to LGBTQ+ issues. Current and former University students, faculty, or staff, LGBTQ or allies are welcome to submit their work for consideration at missysubmissions@gmail.com.
Gillespie’s most recent publication is The Thing about Florida: Exploring a Misunderstood State, a collection of essays that looks below the surface level of headlines about what is often called “the weirdest state in the country.” His current research deals with how writing and other rhetorical practices helped shape LGBTQ+ communities in Florida.
Show notes & extras
Episode guest Tyler Gillespie
Click here to read an article on Literary Hub by Tyler Gillespie.
Click here to view Issue 1 of UM’s New LGBTQ+ Literary Magazine, Missy.