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Successful Clutter.
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D. Frederic:ks)
The best of bothworlds
Professors successfully combine writing. teaching
For Sydney Duncombe, professor of Political
Science, and Edmund Tylutki, associale
professor of Botany, it was dilficull
to leach their respective courses with
inadequate texis, so they look it upon themselves
10 write better books.
Writing wasn't easy, though; il took thousands
of hours of research, writing and re-writing.
In addition to writing, they eacb taught
several courses. However, one benefit of
teaching is that it allowed free lime in the
summer for writing.
"Most of my writing is done in the summer,"
said Tylutki.
"It's difficult to write without having blocks
of time tbat you can plunge into and not have
to worry about stopping for this or that," be
said.
Both Tylutki and Duncombe were pioneers
in writing for their respective fields.
"It's the first material on mushrooms of
Idaho and the Pacific Northwest ever written,"
Tylutki said concerning his textbook.
Duncombe wrote his lirst book on county
government in 1965, and then he published
another edition in 1977, since the first book
was outdated.
"I enjoy writing. I'm a good writer. I'm a poor editor," said
Duncombe.
Like Tylutki and Duncombe, many UI professors spend a
great deal of their time researching books and articles to inform
and educate. However, there are other educators who
write to entertain.
John Lee, associate professor C?f
Communication, and Ron
StUl At It.
III 1965 Sydney Dunc:ombe
wrote hi. first book on C:OIID­
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yean lat.r h. wrote Dn lipdal.d
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Ui bard at wark~_
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Fr.d.r1c:bl
McFarland, professor 01 English, write fiction.
Lee has written several popular novels,
including one bestseller. According to
McFarland, his work was "the first serious
poetry anthology done."
McFarland said, "I see myself primarily as a
teacher. Poetry is more 01 a hobby. I don't take
myself seriously as a poet.
Though both have written mainly lor
pleasure, Lee, whose books have been
published all over the world, said, "I've
always written because I enjoy it, but money
is important.
Just as their subjects diller, so do their
writing styles. McFarland draws his ideas
from things that strike his fancy or calcb his
eye.
"I don't force it. Most of my writing I do late
at night, between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.," he said.
On the other hand, Lee is a stern disciplinarian
who forces himself to sit at the typewriter
for hours at a time. He gets his ideas from the
Iront pages of old newspapers, and most 01 his
novels are drawn from fact.
Despite their success, all of these authors
are devoted to their teaching commitments.
"I won't let it compromise the important thing I do (teaching),"
said McFarland.
"Teaching is one thing you've got to give a hundred percent
to," Lee said. And, as he pointed out, "teaching keeps one's
vocabulary current."
Through carelultime management, however, many professors
combine writing and teaching, giving them the best of both
worlds. Julie Reagan 0
98 WriteIS