Film / Video Studies
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Bill Yazbec
MFA Creative Writing, University of Memphis, 2002
Ph.D (A.B.D.) English, Florida State University, 2007
Professor Lawton,
I don't know if you remember me or not. It's been a few years (15). I've just been thinking a lot about you and my time in your classes since I heard of Antonioni' s passing. I put together an annotated bibliography about everything that had been written about him as a project for you. It was one of the best experiences of my life so far (I'll be 36 this month). I will always think of you and Antonioni as intertwined because I came to it through you although I recall you had a much higher esteem for Pasolini.
I want to wish you well and thank you for your influence upon my life. I turned a corner when I got into your Italian Cinema class and then learned even more in our small seminar with Jim Drummond and Mass Giorgini. I've done well for myself so far. I received an MFA in Creative Writing and am writing my dissertation for my Ph.D. I feel that I owe a lot of that to you as a mentor.
I just wanted to thank you for everything. I've been teaching various subjects at universities for the last nine years and I think of you often when I step into the room. I ' m sure you have heard much of this from former students. I got my stuff together once I got into your class and I've continued to get better as a writer and scholar as I've gone on and I appreciate your guidance more than you know.