What Horst Rosenberg Can't Work Without
What does it take to teach at Stone in 2022?
These days, it takes deep creativity, and a relentless love of students, a commitment to Designing for Joy. And really good coffee, and a few comfort-items to see us through these challenging days! Each month, we ask Stone Faculty members to talk about the “stuff” — the tools, the devices, the gear, the go-to-things —which enable them to show up for their students and care for their students while also providing some all-important self-care. Today, Humanities instructor Horst Rosenberg shares with us “What Horst Can’t Work Without”!
I’ll admit it, I’m a “stuff” person. Grab any of my jackets and you’ll hear a jangling collection of detritus as likely to include a Hohner Marine Band harmonica as a stick of sealing wax. Among the general mishmash you’ll find some items which are genuinely necessary to the success of my day. The tools which follow are indispensable to my teaching. They are extensions of my personhood and aids to my work.
Kaweco Sport Fountain Pen. The Kaweco Sport answers every demand I place on a writing instrument. It is compact, reliable, and allows me to change ink colors as suits my mood. In a life full of disposable things, I’ve used only this pen for seven years.
Yorkshire Gold tea. My signature pep does not exist by accident. Every teaching day I drink one liter of this malty, bitter, caffeinated miracle. It is inexpensive and tastes the way an old sweater feels.
Harris Tweed. Pockets! What would I be without pockets? While I wear a jacket most days, my most worn are all Harris Tweed. Hand-woven by cotters in the Outer Hebrides, the cloth is hard-wearing, beautiful, warm, and ecologically responsible. My favorites are covered with tea and ink stains from the above two items.
Jadite Tea Mug. Given that my spiritual age is somewhere around 87, I collect antique porcelain and I worry about my health. The latter factor keeps me from drinking from any of my antique tea cups which all contain toxic metals in the glazes. My tea mug appeals to my love of physical artifacts from the past and allays my rampant fear of accidentally ingesting cobalt. As an added bonus, it is the style of mug used by the character Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which I find inspirational.
Pevear and Volokhonsky Translation of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. In the busy life of a teacher there often isn’t enough time for a long afternoon of reading. Enter War and Peace. With an average chapter coming in at about five pages, one almost always has time for a bite-sized piece of a sweeping epic about family, the forces of history, and humankind’s place in the universe. The Pevear and Volokhonsky translation captures Tolstoy’s rough edges, humor, and force of character. Also makes an ideal laptop stand for LFH days.
See also: What We’ve Been Reading This Summer; Our Favorite Photographs Of 2021; Facts Are A Stubborn Things;
Ready to learn more about Horst, and about all of our other amazing faculty members, too? Click right here to schedule your private tour!