Thomas H. Benton is the pseudonym that was used, up until 2011, for a series of columns on academic work and life by William Pannapacker. He is on leave as a professor of English at Hope College in Michigan and now lives in Chicago. He can be reached via Twitter @pannapacker.
Stories by This Author
An Academic in America
A longtime columnist ponders the pros and cons of using—and losing—a pen name.
An Academic in America
At every semester’s end, come the student e-mails about unexpected funerals.
An Academic in America
Surveying the wreckage from a teacher’s point of view: What can students possibly be thinking?
An Academic in America
Surveying the wreckage from a teacher’s point of view.
An Academic in America
A world-weary professor considers promoting the monastic life for undergraduates.
An Academic in America
A professor sets aside his well-honed skepticism to consider a few things that make an academic career worthwhile.
An Academic in America
The “public be damned” attitude of some academic provocateurs ignores the impact their grandstanding has on the rest of us.
An Academic in America
I can’t remember a time when professors, particularly in the humanities and social sciences, had a stronger feeling of being under siege.
An Academic in America
Curators at small museums, often affiliated with universities, are beginning a process of thoughtful restoration and innovation.
An Academic in America
Museums move to turn away from simulations and once again emphasize the captivating power of the real.