Robin McNallie: A reason not to cut class

A reason not to cut class

By Donna Pleasants Isaac (’76)

Originally published in Winter 2001, this is just one of many stories from Madison magazine's award-winning Professors You Love series, written by JMU students and alumni, about the professors that have made the most impact on their lives — then, and now.

It was the '70s, and my friends and I had been known to cut classes, especially in the warm Shenandoah Valley summers.we would gather at Blue Hole, the girls in leopard bikinis and the boys in cut-off jeans, jumping from a jagged precipice into a deep blue flue of water surrounded by a shallow, icy creek pool.

We girls would hang out on the edge of the sandy shore and talk about classes and friends. We were Phineas and Gene from A Separate Peace, Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye, and rebels all the way.

But I never cut any of Professor Robin McNallie's classes, although I felt he would understand the gathering in the mountain covert. Understanding was just one of McNallie's attributes.

During a summer session of Early American Lit., I sat in the back of the classroom, smoking a Swisher Sweet, a particularly cloying small cigarillo. Although I had been in some classes where professors or students smoked from time to time, it was still not totally acceptable to do so. Professor McNallie entered and began to jump around the room. He spoke passionately of Whitman and Out of the Cradle, Endlessly Rocking. Listening, enthralled, I drew upon the cigar, which halted McNallie in mid-sentence.

"Ms. Pleasants, are you smoking a cigar?" he asked.

All eyes turned to me, and I felt nervous; yet I was used to being confronted by authority figures. After all, it was the '70s. "Yes sir, it's a Swisher Sweet," I replied. McNallie rushed hurriedly through the rows, shoving aside desks and longhaired students. Striding right up to me, he reached out his hand. "Was this teacher demanding I hand over the contraband?" I thought. Instead he shook my hand and sputtered, "Let me congratulate you. The only other woman I know who smoked a cigar was my wife on our wedding night. And I'm her biggest fan."

I had been exonerated and lauded all in one small speech. With his sense of humor and understanding, McNallie made me feel welcome. And I learned so much about American Lit. that year that I enrolled in another McNallie class, Advanced Writing, in my junior year. Here, I learned about poetics in writing, parallelism and transitions. For the first time I felt that I knew how to write. McNallie gave me the language and the "nuts and bolts" of writing.

I am grateful to Professor McNallie for his dynamic teaching, his love of learning and his caring for students. He has been a true role model as I enter my 25th year of teaching. Thank you Professor McNallie. I teach English at a secondary academy and oversee the school's writing lab. I won't, however, condone smoking in the corner of the classroom.

About the professor 
JMU associate professor emeritus of English Robin McNallie taught English at JMU for more than 30 years. He lives in Harrisonburg and remains active by volunteering his time in local theater productions and political groups.

He was also nominated as a "Professor You Love" by two other alumni: Ken Sullivan ('82) of Sterling, Va., author of The Way I Saw America, who says, "I began writing my book about a seven-month backpacking adventure across the United States and was inquiring about getting academic credit for it when Robin McNallie came into my life. He helped me through the long process of writing, editing and re-writing. I sell my book with his name on the front cover in gratitude for all his help."

Christine Wilk McClenny ('73) of Virginia Beach, who writes, "Professor Robin McNallie was an instant LIKE for me. At 8 a.m., he entered the room, fairly short in stature, with crazy dark hair in constant turmoil, sparkling eyes and a thick Massachusetts accent. English was never an 'A' subject for me, but professor McNallie changed my views on my own abilities."

Serious about writing: My gratitude for Robin McNallie

By Ken Sullivan (’82)

When I began writing The Way I Saw America during the summer of 1981, a good friend suggested that I approach the JMU Department of English to inquire about getting credit for my writing. While I had no idea how things would work out, I decided to heed my friend’s advice and headed over to the English department as soon as classes began in late August.

While I didn’t know any of the professors and I was nervous, I still remember climbing the stairs up to the second floor. When I stuck my head in the first open door I came to and introduced myself, a man sitting behind the desk introduced himself as Robin McNallie. Of course, I didn’t I know then that was the beginning of a long, positive relationship.

"To this day I am still thankful for Robin’s help."

I explained that I was in the process of writing a book about a seven-month backpacking adventure around the United States, and I wanted to find out about the possibilities of getting credit for writing it. Robin’s response, “I want you to write a five-page paper as an overview of your work. Please have it back to me within a week,” was unexpected. I didn’t know what to say, but I was excited. When I returned with the paper within the week, Robin, who then knew I was serious, said he would work with me. After that we met each week during the school year, and as mid-year approached I worked with Robin and submitted a chapter of my work in the 1982 Datsun National Student Writing Contest.

Robin and I continued to meet each week after that until the contest results came out. I received an Honorable Mention, and to this day I am still thankful for Robin’s help. Robin paid me a compliment at the end of that year that I will never forget. “You’re one in a million,” he said. Even though I still had not completed my work by graduation, Robin stuck to his end of the deal and got the English department to provide six hours of independent credit. I told him I would return to complete my work after I returned from a three-month backpacking trip in Europe. This time Robin knew I meant what I said.

After the trip, I returned to Harrisonburg and convinced my fraternity brothers to let me stay in a small, unused portion of their house. This time Robin agreed to edit my work and didn’t ask for anything in return. So, week after week I showed up with new material for his review.

When the book was finally completed, I sent the first 10,000 words to three agents who each agreed I might have something if I would rewrite it. I was thankful, tired and not about to rewrite the 375-page book that Robin and I had worked on. I had also told Robin that because of his support I would put his name on the front cover if it ever got published.

Then in 1997, 15 years later, I was once again walking the halls of Madison’s English department when I ran into Virginia Alliotti, my former French professor. She said she remembered me and asked how she could help. When I asked if Robin McNallie was still a professor, she pointed to his office and according to the office hours posted on his door he wasn’t going to be in for a couple of hours. So, Professor Aliotti called him at home; I was surprised when he answered the phone and told me he was waiting on a plumber, but would cancel the visit so he could come over to say hello.

When professor McNallie and I finally got together it was a joy to see him. He explained that he had been a professor for 30 years and that at the end of each year he had made a list of the 10 most memorable students he had taught, and that I had been on that list for the past 15 years. I explained to him that I was going to continue to pursue getting The Way I Saw America on the bestseller list.

I have developed a Web page and am now selling The Way I Saw America, with Robin’s name on the cover, at kjpublications.com. I am forever grateful to Robin for putting me up to the challenge and helping me realize that I can do what I set my mind to.

Robin, many, many thanks.