Jennifer is fourth year English major getting ready to graduate. We asked her four questions about English and about the book she’s writing with her ultra-marathon runner dad, Luis Escobar.

 

 

How has being an English major affected your life in ways you didn’t think it would?

 

Being an English major has helped further develop my sense of empathy. Continuously reading such varied works by diverse authors has given me a wider perspective of the world around me. 

 

So, your dad is an ultra marathon runner and has asked you to help write a book. What’s the book about, and how's it coming along?

 

My dad is hoping to be the first person to run the entire California Condor Trail, which is about 400 miles long. He has asked me to help him write a book about his experience on the trail as well as his life as an ultra-marathon runner. Unfortunately, due to the recent rains and fires, a large portion of the trail in Big Sur has been closed, delaying our plans. I am extremely excited to help my dad with this project and can’t wait to get started!  

 

What’s in store for you after graduation? More book editing?

 

Due to the delay on my dad’s project, we are hoping next year will be the time to get started with the run and writing! I’ll be taking a year off after graduation and then I’ll apply for the graduate teaching credentials program here at UCD. During this time off I’m hoping to travel to visit some family in Germany, work toward my yoga instructor certification, substitute teach, and continue working with the on campus group Sprout Up. I have been volunteering as a lead instructor and the Development Manager for Sprout Up this year and will be the Director of the group next year.

 

Favorite work of literature you read in a UCD English class?

 

It’s so hard for me to decide on just one favorite, so here’s a list of a few:

Flame Throwers by Rachel Kushner, Ulysses by James Joyce, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos, Endgame by Samuel Beckett, Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, John dos Passos's The Big Money, Fantomina by Eliza Haywood, and “If I told him” by Gertrude Stein.