I am on sabbatical for the 2023-2024 academic year. I will return in August 2024.
THE TELEPHONE NUMBER ABOVE IS THERE BY DEFAULT. I DO NOT MONITOR THAT LINE. PLEASE
CONTACT ME VIA EMAIL.
About Me:
I began my career at sea in the U.S. Coast Guard. After completing my tour, I sailed as A.B. Seaman in tankers,
container ships, breakbulk vessels, and offshore tugboats. I served with the San Francisco
Bar Pilots from 1991-2000, where I became captain of the offshore pilot vessel California. I hold a license as Master, Steam or Motor Vessels of 200 tons (US) and Mate 1600
tons (US) and I'm an active full book member of the Sailors' Union of the Pacific
(#2741).
As a student at Berkeley and Cornell my research in British Literature and Critical Theory was
generously supported by fellowships from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Society
for the Humanities at Cornell and the National Endowment for the Humanities. I wanted
to understand how seafaring, so crucial to the development of colonies and nations,
was represented in art and literature, and how the history of human engagements with
the sea since the mid-eighteenth century have helped to develop culture. A recently
published book chapter (2021) explores the dense social and material infrastructure
of marine transportation since the 1920's and the changing ideal of "autonomy," the
idea that tradition — and literature— celebrates as a central trope of maritime culture.
In more recent public lectures and seminars, I have begun to explore the concept and
meaning of autonomy and "mastery," how these ideas have developed along with marine
transportation, and what it means for the 21st century. Current projects include a
study of the infrastructure of globalized marine transportation since the eighteenth
century (ships, cranes, ports, humans in motion) as media.
My upper division literature and culture classes (Literature of the Sea; Globalization of Culture; Maritime Culture) are informed
by these and related questions, and I encourage my students to become colleagues and
join me in pursuing these issues in shared research projects. I am never more proud
than when former undergraduate students successfully apply to graduate school, like
those currently studying at the University of California, SF State, and elsewhere.
Staying in touch with these remarkable individuals as they enter careers far beyond
what they imagined as freshmen cadets makes me happier than anything.
My lower-division courses (Intro to Literature; English Composition; Critical Thinking) are designed to help
students in all majors get "up to speed" and build the skills necessary to advance
their own academic and professional careers at Cal Maritime and beyond. But more than
just brushing up basic skills, these courses are designed with the student and Cal
Maritime cadet in mind: my colleagues and I in C&C understand the workload, campus
environment, and the many requirements competing for one's attention. These classes
are rigorous and rewarding, but never generic, and never simply reused semester after
semester. Recent themes in Intro to Literature have included, "Robotics and AI," "Revolutionary
Literature," "Literature of Nature and the Environment," "Sea Stories," and readings,
assignments, and discussions are always new, current, and fresh.
My colleagues among the faculty recognized me with the Outstanding Teaching award in 2015, and
a CSU "Educational Experience Enhancement" award with course release for providing
exceptional service to the students. In 2017, I was honored with the President's Cabinet
award, and in 2018 the faculty again recognized my work by selecting me for the award
for Outstanding Service.
I am an Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute and as a director and trustee, I serve on the NI Executive Board at several meetings
each year in London. I am a past Chair and Hon. Secretary of the NI US West Coast
branch, and Faculty Advisor to the Cal Maritime NI Club, NI@CMA. I have previously
served in several roles, including Executive Secretary, of the Melville Society.
I'm always happy to answer questions about my courses or my work, or our programs at Cal Maritime.
Please see contact information, or drop by my office.
Please explore the tabs at the top for selected course materials, students' work,
and public media.
"A Sailor Looks at Maritime Lit" an invited public lecture given as part of the Maritime Education for Students of
the Sea series hosted by the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association. July
29, 2021.
"Surviving Autonomy: Radical Craft vs Mastery at Sea" a presentation as part of Sapienza University of Rome's "Ermenautica Sapieriinrotta"
lecture series. June 1, 2021.
"Fayaway: Melville, Fantasy, and Fame." September 23, 2017: closing "Blue Room" lecture for 2017 series.
Paths That Shine: Nantucket and the Essex, with Nathaniel Philbrick, Tristram Coffin Dammin, Colin Dewey, Peggy Goodwin. Directed
by Ben Cortes, Director of Photography Derek Knowles. Courtyard Films, 2015. Sorry,
this video is presently unavailable.
A clip from a documentary film showing my "old job" on the Pilot Boat California,
c 1998.
Videos produced in, by, and for courses:
British Literature of the Sea (EGL 309), Spring 2021. Students recorded their own
versions of portions of "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by S.T. Coleridge, "after"
the 2020 Ancient Mariner Big Read project. Dr. Dewey then compiled their audio recordings into this video.
Maritime Culture (HUM 350) Fall 2020 lecture to accompany class reading of chapter 6 of Outlaws of the Atlantic by Marcus Rediker
Maritime Culture (HUM 350) Fall 2020 class project. Song written, performed, and recorded by students and inspired by
a class visit and conversation with Prof. Marcus Rediker. Video by Dr. Dewey
Financial Capitalism and the Global Eighteenth Century, a video lcture for "Globalization of Culture" (HUM 325) Spring 2021.