My name is Michael Stern. I was born and raised in the Bronx and landed in Oregon in 2001 after many in-betweens. One of those in-betweens was the University of California where I earned a Ph.D. I was the first in my family to do so. Neither of my parents went to college. They were working people and never had the opportunities that I enjoyed. So I am grateful to be where I am, and happy to be your Professor for the first term of your college career.
My scholarly work is comparative. I write about narratives, poetry and philosophy and research writers and thinkers from 3 continents and the Caribbean islands. The world of stories tells us about who we think we are and this fascinates me. We humans love to invent things, to come upon shapes and rhythms and we are constantly trying to narrate, explain, interpret, and order the world. And we always fail. The world is always in excess of our attempts to know it and that is a good thing. Our FIG will be about stories and the worlds they describe. It will touch upon love, honor, luck, desire, walking, the environment, and the movements people have made sliding from one world to another. I am happy to welcome you to this FIG, Stories We Tell, and I am eager to hear the stories you tell about yourself and the world.
Hi! My name is Cat Colson (they/she), and I will be the FIG Assistant for the Stories We Tell FIG this fall. love appreciating art and listening to music; I play the French horn and love to work with my hands by crafting, designing, and sewing. I grew up in Portland, Oregon. The best part about living here is getting to spend time in Oregon's precious environments. Before I was at the UO, my idea of what I wanted to pursue in college was unclear, as a person with many academic interests. If you are eager to try new subjects like me, the Stories We Tell FIG will be a great space for you. Our FIG takes a unique approach to learning about language in a way that will challenge how you may have previously been taught. As your FIG Assistant, I am always here for you and available to answer any questions you have about anything! I'm looking forward to meeting you!
