Sundet smiles with her two-year-old niece, Simone.
Courtesy | Leta Sundet

Having moved from the rolling hills of Connecticut to her roach-infested Texan abode, Assistant Professor of English Leta Sundet now finds herself in the middle-of-nowhere, Michigan, sharing in the Great Books tradition with eager Hillsdale College students.

This semester, Sundet is teaching two sections of Great Books in the British and American Tradition, as well as an upper-level Restoration and Romantic British literature course. Sundet said she is already very impressed with the students as observed through one class thus far.

“I was immediately astonished in my first class that no one was wearing pajamas,” Sundet said.

Overall, Sundet said the energy was high.

“There’s an exchange of energy,” Sundet said. “When you have a dead class and you’re giving all the energy, it can be very exhausting. But as soon as you have even just a few people who are giving it back, exciting things can happen.”

After doing graduate work at the University of Dallas and earning her doctorate, Sundet taught for a couple years in Houston before becoming faculty at Hillsdale. Her position, however, is earned through hours of intense interviews, teaching a class, and giving a research presentation. Dean of Faculty Thomas Treloar said this process for all new faculty helps discern if they will acclimate to the mission and pace of life at Hillsdale.

“What I’m looking for is, do they understand what kind of institution they’re coming to? Do they understand what we’re trying to do here at Hillsdale College?” Treloar said.

Chair and Professor of English Justin Jackson affirmed that a point of focus in the hiring process is Hillsdale’s status as a teaching institution.

“Any Ph.D. can research — that’s just what you’re trained to do — but not every Ph.D. can teach. And we’re a teaching school, so if you can’t teach, you’ll be fired quickly,” Jackson said. “So students should know, if you have someone in your classroom, that person is going to be able to teach.”

Jackson spoke highly of Sundet’s ability to work in tandem with Hillsdale’s mission and educational model.

“She got her Ph.D. at Dallas, and the reason why that’s important for her working here is that Dallas is also a Great Books school. So she’s gonna step in here, and it’s going to be second nature,” Jackson said.

Sundet’s specialty as researched in her dissertation is the element of surprise in writing, explored through Jane Austen, Flannery O’Connor, and Isak Dinesen.

“Surprise is sort of an element of plot, but where does it kind of go beyond just a plot element — the surprise, the turn, the jump scare, into what I call deep surprise, where fundamental assumptions get overturned for the characters,” Sundet said.

As with many students on campus, Sundet shares a love of reading and a love of Jane Austen’s works.

“I didn’t really love any of Austen’s novels until I read ‘Mansfield Park’ in college, and it was my gateway,” Sundet said. “I think everyone has a gateway Austen — that’s my theory — you just need to read the right one, and then you’ll love Austen.”

For those who may be averse to Austen as an over-romanticized and over-hyped author, Sundet said even the formal scholarship of Austen can play into that stereotype — the Jane Austen Society of North America academic conference ends in a ball, after all. Yet Sundet said there is more of Austen to be explored and taken seriously.

“There’s kind of an illusion that because her novels are so easy to love, and in a way so accessible, there’s not an awful lot to say,” Sundet said. “And I think, yeah, you do enjoy them, but I also think there is a lot to say and dig into.”

Sundet said she is eager to become part of the community and explore the unique gems of Hillsdale county, such as visiting farmer stands, the Most Popular Fair on Earth Since 1851, and Amish donuts.

“The Amish donuts — I’ve heard from friends that the donuts are out of this world,” Sundet said. “I will track them down.”

In the meantime, you may find her reading Jane Austen in her office, teaching a Great Books class, or perhaps debating students on the intricacies of movies.

“I hate to say I’m a film buff, because then it sounds like I watch Citizen Kane or something, but I just enjoy movies, and I really like fighting about movies with people,” Sundet said.

Her journey here, although rigorous through a faculty vetting process, was well-earned, according to Jackson.

“For me it was a no brainer, because she’s tough,” Jackson said. “You don’t expect it because she’s small, and she’s quiet, and she teaches Jane Austen, for the love of God. Like those three things for me, mean, ‘Oh, you’ll be crushed’ — but no way. She’s very tough, so I’m looking forward to seeing how students respond.”