Jamey

Trotter

I earned my B.A. in English, minor in Creative Writing in 1998 from the College of Charleston, located in Charleston, SC. Being an English Major, I really had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. My poetry professor, Paul Allen, suggested I sell all my belongings and move to New York City to try and make it, to get the experience of starting with nothing in one of the most difficult American cities to do so. It was tempting; the options were immense, and I still had young-writer's blood in me. But instead of moving to NYC, I decided to join my uncle in Denver, CO — he had just moved here to open the Hotel Monaco, and I was able to secure a job as a front desk clerk there. So, I packed up my few belongings into a little U-Haul trailer, which I attached to my 1982 Jeep CJ7, and I moved to Denver, CO – without ever having seen the place. Like a lot of people, I was surprised that Denver was flat, that it was in fact not IN the mountains. Of course, it all makes sense now, but to a young dude who grew up surfing his entire life, it was a bit surprising. Life in Colorado took some getting used to, but I was immediately in love with the area. I have now lived more of my life (14 years at the time of this writing) here in Colorado than in any other location. Though I liked the hotel business, at one point in time enjoying the title of "Chef de Concierge" at the Hotel Teatro, I wanted more. I wanted to make a more meaningful difference in people's lives, and I wanted to use my brain a bit more. So, I went back to graduate school and earned my M.A. in English, Teaching of Writing, from the University of Colorado at Denver. I have taught a myriad of writing classes, both creative and academic, since 2005 when I graduated. I've been a writing tutor longer than that. And, of course, I like to write…when I can find the time. I have a few publications at this point, and I hope to build that list as time moves on. Academic/Professional Interests: I am interested primarily in the student, which is why I love teaching at the community college level — we get to focus on students rather than publishing. At ACC, I teach primarily ENG 121 and ENG 122, the two required writing classes that nearly every student must take. I also teach ENG 090, and there is a literature class I am working on; hopefully, I'll be rolling that out soon. As a teacher, I am interested in the usage of technology in the classroom, so that's something I'm always working on. Aside from creating good writers who understand and like (if not love) writing, one of my primary goals in the classroom is to have a good time. Learning should be fun and interesting, shouldn't it? Personal Interests: I'm a book collector, so there's always the "hoarding" tension in my marriage. I don't hoard books; I just like having a lot of them around me! I write some and read a lot more than that (you can't be a good writer without being a good reader…sorry folks). I'm a dad, which I love, to a (currently) 4-year-old daughter, who I love (my wife is also cool). My family and I do all the mountain stuff; we hike, bike, camp, drive around, and raft on and swim in cold mountain rivers. I'm addicted to homegrown tomatoes, so in the summer I garden. I'm also a big sports fan, so I'm pretty stoked about ol' Peyton joining the Broncos. Bottom line, my personal interests align with my credentials (as a Rocky Mountain Man) and align with my academic interests, so life is pretty sweet. Listen to Jamey's Podcast: https://www.arapahoe.edu/sites/default/files/shared/images-pdf/deptprgrms/a-z/english/jamey-intro-writing-center.wmv