LAUBACH, David C. 1939-

PERSONAL: Born April 24, 1939, in Danville, PA; son of Joseph B. (a grocer and teacher) and Melva Kile (a teacher) Laubach; married Glenda Crist (a social worker), June 21, 1968; children: Kristi, Karina. Ethnicity: "German." Education: Bloomsburg University, B.A., 1960; University of Massachusetts, Ed.D., 1985. Politics: Democrat. Religion: United Church of Christ. Hobbies and other interests: Film, gardening, baseball, folklore, bluegrass music.

ADDRESSES: Office—English Department, Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA 19530.

CAREER: Educator and author. Loyalsock Township High School, Williamsport, PA, head of English department, 1960-69; St. Nicholas Grammar School, Northwood, England, English teacher, 1969-70; Westfield School District, Westfield, MA, director of English department, 1970-85; Colonial School District, Plymouth Meeting, PA, director of language arts and reading, 1985-87; Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA, associated professor of English, 1988—. Lycoming College, adjunct teacher, 1964-69; Williamsport Community College, drama instructor, 1966-69; Hampshire Lodge, teacher in humanities, 1967-68; Maxwell Vacation School, director 1971-77; University of Massachusetts, adjunct teacher in writing, 1977-85.

MEMBER: Modern Language Association, National Council of Teachers of English.

AWARDS, HONORS: Fulbright award, 1969, for teaching in England; National Endowment for the Humanities award, 1986, for study in Faulkner.

WRITINGS:

Introduction to Folklore (nonfiction), Boynton/Cook (Portsmouth, NH), 1989.

Growing up Amish (novel), University Editions, 1997. Contributor of articles to English Journal, Leaflet, New York English, Connecticut English, Scholars, California English, and Kansas English. Film critic, New Mass Media, 1977-95, and Christianity and Crisis, 1985-90.

WORK IN PROGRESS: The Hour of the Witch, a novel; The Ghost of Hawk Mountain, a novel; research on the teaching of fiction and teaching of Shakespeare through performance, the small town in Hawthorne and Faulkner, and York County and Berks County legends.

SIDELIGHTS: David C. Laubach told CA: "My major interests in writing is to develop fiction around historical events in the area I live in now—'Pennsylvania Dutch Country.' I write because I enjoy it. It is interesting to enter a world of one's own imagination where you can manipulate things to suit yourself, live for a while in that world, and then return to the present. It is also interesting to imagine the reader you are writing for, how he or she will react to your words, what that reader will find boring, exciting, moving, dull, intriguing. It's fun to try to do something about that reaction.

"My major influence is William Faulkner, how he was able to create a world from that little 'postage stamp of earth.' The microcosm becomes the universe. He teaches us how important it is to observe closely, and he reminds us that even 'the least of these' speak for all of us. Observe, observe. And help the reader to observe as well.

"I find that I have to write a certain number of pages each day if I am to get anywhere. Revising is a lot more fun, but it can become a laborious business if you don't set yourself a goal; for each day, each week, each month. I worked as a columnist for a long time and that teaches you discipline. There is the type-writer—you need five pages and you have to send them in tomorrow morning. Get it done."