Doctorate in English/Theatre with 20+ years experience in Performance, Rhetoric, and College Writing in Southern Maine

I have known Jim for over fifty years and have worked with him as a writer and theatre director. He is an excellent communicator of difficult ideas (we worked on several Samuel Becket plays) and he has a delightfully open and generous spirit. It would be to anybody‘s benefit to dedicate some serious time to working with Dr. James.

*lifelong trusted friend and colleague
*dynamic, warm hearted, up to date, smart, scholarly, and down to earth
*great writing and communication skills
*always has the interests and needs of students in mind
*his drama background aids in his delivery, articulation of his teaching

Dr. James Seymour has asked me to write a letter in support of his application to become a tutor on Superprof. I do so unreservedly. I first came to know and admire Jim when he was a teaching colleague in English and the Director of Theater at the University of Guam. I was Jim’s supervisor when I served as Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and he was an Associate Professor of Theater. Jim consistently taught writing and literature courses for the Division of English and Applied Linguistics, to rave reviews. I was strongly impressed by Jim’s teaching, focused on improving learning outcomes, and his professional ethos. Since his departure from Guam to attend to family issues in Maine, he has been sorely missed in the theater and classroom. The faculty and students miss his exuberance and New England wit.
Jim’s college teaching experience can be traced back to the rigorous training and experience he received at CUNY and Rutgers. He is well read, brimming with sharp observations and insights. I heard students rave about his writing courses, which included cutting edge material in rhetoric and the analysis of ideology. His professional background, which includes directing plays and writing film reviews, lends a pragmatic and concrete atmosphere to his courses, where students appreciate hands-on assignments that compel them to write essays that matter, letters to editors, and analyses of current debates and events. Jim reads constantly, more than my English colleagues, and we often share book and film recommendations. I am currently publishing a scholarly book review by Jim in the academic journal, Micronesian Educator, of which I am editor. This is evidence of his continuing engagement, his astonishing energy, and his luminous intellect.

I've known Dr. Jim for over 30 years now, since we were doctoral students together in New York. He is a humorous, honest and compassionate teacher, who knows his topics well and understands students' needs; this is an ideal combination for teachers and tutors. Jim is has also taught professionally around the country and around the world all his life, making him a savvy professional and dependable colleague. He is a great guy to have on one's team.