In the field of English, few professors can say they were former aspiring engineers. But for Professor James Kain, that’s exactly the case. After an on-again, off-again relationship with college (though it wasn’t studies holding him back, it was family obligations and financial aid), Kain said he realized that engineering just wasn’t his calling.
“The calculus and physics – rocket science – hurt my head and I realized one day in class that I couldn’t do this the rest of my life,” he said.
On a journey to find a career with flexibility, he found a love of poetry and words. As a teacher, he wants to share that enthusiasm. “When I get into that zone talking about stuff I find fascinating, and reveling in the wordplay, the ideas, the images, the sounds of language at work, I feel that I couldn’t have a better job. I like to see students get that spark that recognizes something creative at work in the world – it’s something that empowers and vitalizes all of us. That’s why I teach.”
The road to teaching, however, was far bumpier. In order to obtain his degrees, Kain said he worked as many as three jobs at a time – all while fitting in studying time. While it was a struggle at the time, it also helps Kain expand his career, and his understanding toward others’ studies.“I’ve always felt that my unusual learning curve has been especially beneficial to me.”
Professor Kain has been with Neumann University for more than 20 years. Having worked his way through different positions, such as writing tutor and coordinator of disability services, today he teaches writing, research, literature, creative writing (poetry and fiction), and a senior seminar course.
Personally, he lives nearby with his wife, Helen, daughter, Ciara, and their two cats. He’s also published three books of poetry: Coming to My Senses, Curved Space & the More Delicate Times, and Conversing with the Spirits, as well as a novella Sweet Tempo.