Last Thursday, Carlo Rotella, a professor in the English department, director of the American Studies department at Boston College, and renowned author, received the prestigious Whiting Award for his nonfiction work, including his most recent book Cut Time: An Education at the Fights.
Each year, the Whiting Foundation gives out cash prizes of $50,000 to 10 anonymously selected writers for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction writing. The award is chosen by 100 judges who nominate and vote on the winners. The purpose of the award is to recognize the achievements of younger writers by awarding a significant financial prize in order to better facilitate the production of future works. As Rotella said, "The winners are writers whose best work is ahead of them," Rotella said.
He plans to use this money to write future works, including one about music that is currently in progress. Rotella's past works include October Cities: The Redevelopment of Urban Literature and Good with their Hands: Boxers, Bluesmen and other Characters from the Rust Belt. He says that he draws his inspiration from city life, growing up on the South Side of Chicago with a desire to capture a moment and the real essence of a city. Rotella cited 19th-century writer Emile Zola as an influence. Zola, he said, would try to capture the essence of a particular time and place, focusing especially on culture.
Rotella's unique writing style, combined with his personal experiences, has led to many previous accolades, including awards from Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the American Scholar, among other publications. His perspective and approach to learning about American city life and culture translates from his independent works into the classrooms of BC, infusing a spirit of learning into his students.
Patrick McGroarty, BC '06, whom Rotella mentored throughout his senior thesis, said that he was instrumental in keeping his thesis precisely edited and structured. "If you know Professor Rotella, or have had him in class, then you notice his razor-sharp sense of humor on almost every page of the book, Cut Time," McGroarty said in an e-mail. He also described Rotella as a "gifted writer [and] storyteller."
Lauren Greb, a student currently enrolled in Rotella's American studies class and A&S '09, said that his classes are just as engaging as his work for which he won the award. "Rotella allows the class to critique his book as any other piece we read, which is commendable," Greb said. "It also gives us another great example of the type of work we can base our own papers off of, in terms of style, topic, and approach."
Another recent alum that has worked closely with Rotella, Timothy McGrath, said that Rotella ran his class in such a precise, guided, but never restrictive way that, at the end of class it "felt a bit like a magic trick - one that was collaborative and exciting, and one that always worked."
While the impact Rotella has made on the BC student population is obviously felt, it doesn't stop there. Professor George O'Har of the English department described him as a highly regarded and energetic teacher. English department chair Mary Crane described him as an important member of the English department. "Students really love his courses and appreciate his wit … and his deep intelligence," Crane said.
Rotella's enthusiasm for the American city and culture surrounding it has led him to the position as director of the American Studies department at BC, which is currently an interdisciplinary study in which students can complete a six-course minor. He says he is working hard on making the department stronger, a fact evidenced by the creation of the Introduction to American Studies class this year.
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