RITA D. JACOBS
Education
Ph.D.University of Pennsylvania (English and American Literature)
M.A.University of Pennsylvania (English)
B.A.Queens College, CUNY (English)
Honors and Fellowships
Selected as the NJCH Professor for the Literature and Medicine seminar at Mountainside Hospital,
Montclair, NJ. Spring 2008.
Faculty Student Research Grant, MSU, 2007-2008, “Donor Tales: A History of Awards and
Fellowships in the English Department.”
New Jersey Council for the Humanities Mini Grant “Sports in America: A Humanities Perspective,” Fall 2006.
American Council on Education Administrative Fellow, l979-80.
Rockefeller Foundation Grants, l974-76.
Four-year University Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, University of Pennsylvania
Employment
Present Professor of English, Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, N.J. Fields: American Drama and Fiction, American Studies, Magazine and Feature Journalism.
1984-88 Department Chair Montclair State College. The Department of English employs 40 full-time faculty and 40 adjunct faculty. The Chair is responsible for personnel matters, scheduling, and communication with the administration.
l980-82 Special Assistant to the President Montclair State College.
l98l Visiting Associate Professor of Liberal Studies (part-time), New York University.
l979-80 American Council on Education Fellow--Executive Assistant to the President, The College of Staten Island, CUNY.
1974-76 Rockefeller Foundation Grant. On leave from Montclair State College to establish American Studies Internships and write on the role of the professional humanist in the areas of corporate social responsibility, public policy and health care.
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Administrative Experience
l980-82 Special Assistant to the President, Montclair State College.
l979-80 Executive Assistant to the President, The College of Staten Island.
l978-Present Director and Developer, English Department Cooperative Education Program,
Montclair State University.
l974-75 Project Director, American Studies Internships. Designed and administered the
project, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, to establish skill and information exchanges between academic humanists and the non-academic world. Designed budgets, programs and public relations materials. Organized conferences.
Selected Lectures, Papers and Presentations
2008 Paper presentation on revised version of “Demons in the USA: The Context of Angels in America,” American Drama Conference of the Arthur Miller Society, November 8, St. Francis College, Brooklyn.
2008Presentation on Lucette Lagnado’s The Man in the White Flannel Suit, Fair Lawn Jewish Center, November 3.
2008Presentation on Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes, The Lotos Club, NYC, September 11.
2008Featured as a Humanities Activist on CUNY-TV show Eldridge & Co, July 15
2005 Lecture “Demons in the USA: The Context of Angels in America,” at ELTE University, Budapest and University of Debrecen (Hungary).
2002Lectures on American Media, Contemporary American Literature and Journal Writing at University of Graz (Austria), Comenius University (Bratislava, Slovakia) Debrecen University (Hungary), ELTE (Budapest, Hungary)
2001“Democratizing Dialogue in the Literature Classroom,” Conference on Democratizing Education, Kiev, Ukraine, June 2.
2000-2001A variety of lectures on American Literature and Teaching Methods at
Kirovograd State Pedagogical University, Ukraine.
1998“Mastering English: Inventing An American Self,” Montclair State University Presidential Invited Faculty Address, March 26.
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Selected Lectures, Papers and Presentations (continued)
1987 "The State College English Department" Columbia University, Seminar on Higher Education, November.
1986 "The Changing Profession," Brown University Graduate Students, April.
1984 "The Future of the Humanities," American Council on Education National
Meeting, Denver, November.
1984 "An Academic Tour of Israel," American Jewish Committee, New York, January.
l982 Lectures on Contemporary American Literature and Film, Auckland University and Canterbury University, New Zealand, June 7-July 8.
l981 "Versions of Masculinity in American Movies: James Dean," New Jersey
Committee on the Humanities, April
l980 "The Fantasy Life of the Academic Figure," Columbia University, October
l980 "The Butler Didn't Do It: American Detective Fiction," New York University, April.
l980 "The American Dream of Success:A Raisin in the Sun," New Jersey Committee
on the Humanities, February.
l976 "Alternatives to Work: The Future of the Work Ethic," Willowbrook Ministries, October.
l975-76 USIA Seminar Lecturer, Washington, DC. "Images of America in Film."
1980-2008Various lectures on American Drama, the Holocaust in American Literatureand Journal Writing in the US and abroad in venues such as the Columbia University Seminars, The Lotos Club, NYC,The Golden Door, Barnes and Noble, Rancho La Puerta, and the Fair Lawn Jewish Center, among others.
Professional Offices
2005-Present Arts Advisory Council Member, FEGS Haym Solomon Division of the Arts .
1997-2002 Co-Chair, Literary Committee, The Lotos Club, New York. Responsible for arranging and hosting literary events for Arthur Miller, Edward Albee, Philip Roth, Edna O’Brien,
John Mortimer and Pat Conroy, among others.
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Professional Offices (continued)
1990-98 Board Member, National Asian American Theatre Company
l982-86 Executive Council, Council of Fellows, American Council on Education.
l98l-83 Co-Chair, Columbia University American Civilization Seminar.
l979-82 President, Metropolitan American Studies Association
l975-77 Member, National Council, American Studies Association.
Scholarly Publications
“Eternal Noise: Confessions of an American Mediaphile One Year After September 11th “ (in Hungarian), MediaKutato, Szam 2002
“Democratizing Dialogue in the Literature Classroom,” Conference Proceedings of Kiev Conference, 2002
(Long Review) Unsentimental Journey: A Report by Albert Drach in Holocaust
and Genocide Studies, Spring 1994.
"Making Sense of the Recent Past." American Quarterly, Fall, 1984.
"Soap Opera Literates Go to College: Teaching Literature to the T.V.Generation,"
(with Abigail P. Israel), New Jersey College English Notes, Summer l983.
The Useful Humanists: Alternative Careers for Ph.D's in the Humanities.
Rockefeller Foundation Working Paper, August l977.
"The Humanist and Work." Proceedings of the Dutchess Community College Humanities Series, l979.
"Truths on the Side of Life: Saul Bellow." World Literature Today, Spring l977.
"Summer Reading Guide: A Sampler of Academic Fiction," Change, August l976.
More than 50 book reviews for World Literature Today from 1977-2008, most recently:
Indignation by Philip Roth (forthcoming)
Lush Life by Richard Price (forthcoming)
The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander (May-June 2008)
Atonement by Ian McEwan (Fall 2007 Review Supplement)
We Are On Our Own: A Memoir by Miriam Katin ( March-April 2007)
A Map of Glass by Jane Urquhart (January-February 2007)
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Books
The Way In: Journal Writing for Self Discovery. Stewart Tabori & Chang 2001.
Tommy: The Musical. Pantheon, 1993. Editorial Director, Essayist
("Behind the Scenes") and Interviewer (Pete Townshend, Des McAnuff).
From Alice to Ocean: Alone Across the Outback. Addison Wesley, 1992.
Editor and caption writer.
A Day in the Life of America. Collins:New York, 1986. Editorial and Research Coordinator.
A Day in the Life of Japan. Collins:Toronto, 1985. Editorial and Research Coordinator.
A Day in the Life of Canada. Collins:Toronto, 1984. Caption writer.
Selected Journalism
“Profile of Harry Teague,” My House, Jan/Feb 2005
“Profile of Mikhail Dantes, My House, Sept/Oct 2005
“A Conversation with Ernestine Schlant Bradley,” Spafinder, Winter 1999
“The Metamorphosis of Flowers,” Diversion, August 1998.
“A Czech Journey,” Diversion , April 1998
“Your HMO and Alternative Medicine,” Spafinder, April 1998
“The Eye of Irving Penn,”Diversion, November 1997
“The Art of Swedish Glass,” Diversion, July 1997.
“Food by Design: Harvey Nichols.” GRAPHIS. September/October 1997.
“On Keeping a Journal.” SpaFinder, April 1997.
“Artist of the Imagination, Diversion, March 1997.
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Selected Journalism (continued)
“Diesel: Provacateurs Fueled for Growth.” GRAPHIS. November/December 1996.
“In A Woman’s Image.” Diversion. November 1996.
“Slover and the Design of Temptation.” GRAPHIS. September/October 1996.
“The Magic of Lord Snowdon.” GRAPHIS. July/August 1995
“Visions of Love and Life: The Pre-Raphaelites.” Diversion. July 1995.
“James McNeill Whistler.” Diversion. May 1995.
“Photo Synthesis.” Diversion. February 1995.
“James Nachtwey.” GRAPHIS, November/December 1994.
“The Incomparable Albert Watson.” GRAPHIS, September/ October 1994.
“Heart of Stone.” Diversion. September 1994.
"The Ten Minute Workout Guide." Frequent Flyer, March 1994
"Of Sailing Ships and Moving Pics." SELL!NG, December 1993.
"Ted Kheel's Excellent Adventures." Frequent Flyer, September 1993.
"Modern Medici: Michael Eisner." GRAPHIS, September/October 1992.
“Not Just Dopp Kitsch." Frequent Flyer, September 1992.
"Elizabeth Glaser." VISaVIS, August 1992
"Mr.Kodak: Ray deMoulin." GRAPHIS, March/April 1992.
"A Reluctant Road Warrior: Dick Schaap." Frequent Flyer, November 1991.
"Signage with Sense, Not Signature: Carbone Smolan and the Louvre." GRAPHIS, July/August, 1991.
"Lanai, Hawaii." Side Streets of the World. May 1991.
"Exploring Hawaii's Pineapple Island." VISaVIS, May 1991.
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Selected Journalism (continued)
"Kayaking on Kauai's Hulei River." VISaVIS, February 1991.
“Bornholm, Denmark" Side Streets of the World. September 1990.
"The Stanford Court Atop San Francisco's Nob Hill." VISaVIS, September 1990.
"Diary of an Annual Report." GRAPHIS, March/April 1990.
"On Assignment with Eddie Adams." VISaVIS. January 1990.
"Bottom Line Intellectual: Anthony J.F. O'Reilly." VISaVIS December 1989
"Roddy McDowall: Behind the Camera." VISaVIS, October 1989.
"The Waikoloa: Hawaiian Pleasures on a Grand Scale." VISaVIS, September 1989.
"We're All in This World Together: A Profile of Bree Walker." PARADE (Cover Story), July 9, 1989.
"Editor in Fashion: Grace Mirabella." VISaVIS, June 1989.
"Behind This Door: At Home with Viveca Lindfors." VISaVIS, April 1989.
"Madison Avenue Dynamo: Louise McNamee." VISaVIS, February 1989.
"A Pilgrimage to the Skagen Peninsula." Side Streets of the World. January 1989.
"With Aquavit and a 'Skaal,'Denmark Greets the Season." The New York Times,
Sunday Travel Section, December 25, 1988.
"On Top of the News: Tom Brokaw." VISaVIS. November 1988
"A Day in the Life of Anthony Burgess." TWA Ambassador, October 1988.
"Heir to the Olmstead Vision: Elizabeth Barlow Rogers."VISaVIS, October 1988.
"Bagging Some Friends." VISaVIS, June 1988.
"English Trifle: Serious Dessert." The New York Times, Sunday Travel Section, March 27, 1988.
"A Day in the Life of Joyce Carol Oates." TWA Ambassador, December 1987.
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Selected Journalism (continued)
"Art's Master of Ceremony: J.Carter Brown." VISaVIS, December 1987.
"California Spa Town With an Earthy Touch." The New York Times, Sunday Travel Section, November 22, 1987.
"A Son's Disability, Through His Mother's Eyes." The New York Times,
Sunday Arts and Leisure Section, November 8, 1987.
"Intellectual Pin-Up: George F. Will." VISaVIS, November 1987.
"A Danish Ferry Tale." The New York Times, Sunday Travel Section. October 18, 1987.
“San Francisco's Chronicler: Herb Caen." VISaVIS, October 1987.
"Courtly Dealer in Art's Superstars: Leo Castelli." VISaVIS, September 1987.
“Denmark's Builder King." Northwest Magazine, May 1987.
"A Bike Tour Around Denmark's Garden." The New York Times, Sunday Travel Section, April 12, 1987.
"Off the Rack in San Francisco." The San Francisco Bay Guardian, March 25-April 1, 1987.
"Viewpoint." Glamour, March 1986.
"4 Steps to Making Your Point Persuasively--A Mini-Course in Business Writing." SELF, October l984.
"How to Read Your Boss's Mind." SELF, July l981.
"New Job Jitters--How to Smooth Them Over." SELF, February l981.
“Your Career--How a Pro Would Handle It." SELF, January l980.
"Don't Just Bum Around With Your Thoughts--Concentrate." SELF, September l980.
"Corporate Women: Working Together to Get Ahead." Working Woman, December l979.
"That Was No Lady, That Was My Boss." Working Woman, March l979.
"A Troubling Shift in Education." Los Angeles Times. Op-Ed Page, August 26, l976.