Canadian Mennonite University

Paul Dyck

Professor of English

Paul Dyck

Program(s)English

Emailpdyck:@:cmu.ca

Phone204.487.3300 x641

OfficeC165

Paul specializes in 16th and 17th century English poetry and drama, and is particularly interested in community reading, material culture, and the biblical tradition. His current research includes work on the Gospel harmonies made by hand at Little Gidding (c.1630–1640) and early editions of George Herbert's book of poetry, titled The Temple (first published in 1633), as well as on the topic of revenge in both historical literature and popular film. He has published articles on various aspects of Herbert's poetry, and on devotional practice and book production at Little Gidding.

Besides teaching introductory courses and courses on Medieval and Renaissance literature, Paul has taught on a variety of other topics including Homeric Gods and Heroes, Indigenous Literature, Fantasy Literature, and The History of the Book. One of his teaching joys is using the letterpress at CMU for this last course. He is particularly interested in how the past comes to life and enriches the present through literature and the arts and he gets most excited when students make connections between life now and the life of the past: the most inventive ways of moving forward are those that take the past seriously.

Paul attended University of Alberta, where he earned his BEd, MA, and PhD. Before coming to CMU, he taught at Maskwachees Cultural College in the Cree community of Hobbema (now Maskwacis), Alberta (1993–95). He was Visiting Professor at Kwansei Gakuin University in Nishinomiya, Japan (Spring 2011) and Visiting Fellow at St. John's College, University of Manitoba in the 2013–14 academic year.

Paul was born in Edmonton. He and his wife, poet and novelist Sally Ito (who teaches Creative Writing at CMU), have two adult children. They attend St. Margaret's Anglican Church, where Paul serves as a lay reader and preacher.

Areas of Teaching

Poetry, Fiction, Drama, Medieval and Renaissance Literature, Popular culture, and on topics such as Shakespeare, Milton, Herbert, Book History, and Revenge

Education

PhD, University of Alberta, 2000; MA, University of Alberta, 1993; BEd, University of Alberta, 1991

Work in Detail

Teaching

Research

Community

My primary community service is at St Margaret's Anglican Church, where I am a lay-reader (in effect, a kind of liturgical worship leader) and an occasional preacher.

In recent years I have taught portable courses at churches and at Star Lake Camp.

Printed from: www.cmu.ca/about/faculty/461