It's hard not to feel at ease when stepping into Dr. William Stroup's office in Parker Hall. His multiple bookshelves are packed to the gills with literature from the ages, and their inevitable overflow spills on to his desk. He chats casually with his neighbor, Mark Long, professor of English and American Studies, about the syllabus of a class they will be teaching together. A tree outside his window nearly brushes the glass.

Stroup is a big fan of Romantic and Eco literature, and he's eager to share his knowledge and enthusiasm. He feels that some of the real literary power of the early Romantics was that they questioned why there was such a difference between how we see the natural world as children and how we see it as adults. "Romantic literature is often about trying to honestly remember childhood innocence, a time before one had the knowledge of death and lying." As an Eco literature writer and reader, he values hard questions about the idealization of nature. "The ideals are always an illusion," he comments, "But they are still powerful, and can be dangerous."

He took over organizing the Summer Reading Program in 2004 and 2005, and will stay involved in its future as well. "With the Summer Reading Program, 'like' or 'dislike' isn't the point, but people talking about ideas is." He was on sabbatical in the fall of 2006, and is grateful for the great job done by Professor Brinda Charry with the Persepolis selection and campus activities.

Originally from Lansing, Michigan, Stroup studied at the University of New Hampshire, where he got his Ph.D. He has been at Keene State since 2000, and has also joined the Board of Trustees of the Keene Public Library. He feels that a community with such large, vibrant public institutions as the library and the College is a community that values knowledge. "It's such a supportive place to raise a family, and I can walk to pretty much anything I need - coffee, books, and the office. We [his wife and their two young children] have really set down roots here."