Jane Varley

  Associate Professor of English Jane Varley is now the two-time winner of the William Rainy Harper Award for Outstanding Scholarship. The award is for an author's entire body of work. Varley most recently coauthored the book "You Must Play to Win" with Donna Newberry, which highlights the life and coaching style of Donna Newberry. In the same year she wrote "Sketches at the Naesti Bar,"a book of poems about Iceland – a country which Varley has recently visited.

  "The poetry book I published recently is all based on my thinking about Iceland and my dreaming of being there," said Varley.

  She less recently wrote the book "Flood Stage and Rising," a book about her life before, during and after the flood of Grand Forks, North Dakota.

  Senior Muskingum University student Amelia Altiere – a published member of First Circle – knows Varley from several of her classes and had much to say about her and why she won the award.

  "…Not only is she a profound writer, she has a lot of talent and a lot to offer a student, or anyone for that matter, especially in the English field, but she is also just a very supportive professor," said Altiere. "If you needed extra help or if you wanted her opinion she would most definitely be willing to give it to you."

  Altiere is not alone in her assessment of Varley. Callie Saxton, a Muskingum University senior and member of First Circle, also had words of praise for Varley.

  "She's innovative and she's constantly bringing new ideas to her classroom," said Saxton. "That transpires not only to the students who have her class but when those students are out of her class they are able to use those skills elsewhere. I think she's definitely a deserving recipient."

  Before Varley came to Muskingum she was in Grand Forks for some years before the flood of 1997. She was working towards her Ph.D. and teaching at the University of North Dakota. There Varley and her husband built enormous walls of sand bags to help shore up the dike system. However, the effort was futile since the force of the water was too much, and the sand bags not strong enough, to hold back the pressure of the water. Luckily for Varley and her husband, they went to stay with a relative shortly before the dikes burst.

  "It was very shocking," said Varley. "However, it was in the pre-Katrina era and Katrina changed the whole conversation about catastrophic disasters."

  Varley later came to Muskingum University, a college she picked due to its small size, and the wonderful landscape of the area.

  Varley is also the adviser of First Circle – the yearly literary magazine that has been published since 1968. The magazine publishes the poetry and prose of students and on occasion alumni. This magazine comes out in early spring and the release is celebrated with a reading of the magazine in April.

  "When I came on as adviser to that group I felt privileged to be carrying on this long standing tradition," said Varley.

  In regards to receiving her award, Varley was quite surprised.

  "I didn't see this coming," said Varley.