With many genres of literature already under his belt, Schultz is adding to his list of published works.

Getting paid to do the things you love isn't such a bad job. Not only does Dr. Robert Schultz get paid to teach English at Roanoke College, but he also has an annual stipend that allows him to continue writing. With many different genres of published literature already under his belt, the opportunity Roanoke has given him allows Schultz to add to his list of published works.

Teaching is just as important to Schultz as writing. "Being a writer allows me to be a more effective professor," Schultz says.

"Because of my experience as an author, I am able to give students insight into their work," he says. "That is why I love teaching creative writing courses-I write in the genre that I teach."

What makes it possible for Schultz to continue writing while teaching is his endowed professorship. Given in honor of John P. Fishwick '37, a former Board of Trustees member for the College, the gift was intended to attract a distinguished scholar or writer to Roanoke. The award carries a stipend and a reduced teaching load to allow the professor time for study and writing.

Since his arrival at Roanoke, Schultz has been able to work on a number of projects including a memoir of an old friend and neighbor from Iowa who is a World War II veteran. He has what Schultz describes as "a remarkable story worth preserving."

In addition, he has two other works in progress that he started prior to his arrival at Roanoke College in 2004. These include a personal memoir about Schultz and his father and his second novel, Dark Woods. Schultz's other books include his first novel, The Madhouse Nudes, which has just been released in a paperback edition, and a collection of poems entitled Winter in Eden.

When he was a professor at Luther College, he founded the undergraduate literary magazine Oneota Review. Near the end of his nineteen years as a professor in the Luther English department, Schultz was awarded the Emily Clark Balch prize for poetry from the Virginia Quarterly Review for having written the best poem published in the review that year.

Before working at Luther College, Schultz was an English professor at the University of Virginia, after he earned his doctorate from Cornell University. During his time at UVA, Schultz ran a consulting business that helped teach business executives how to write better.

Now, as a relatively new member of the Roanoke College faculty, Schultz has been actively involved. In 2005, he helped rewrite the "learning goals" for Roanoke and is also participating in the revision of the current curriculum.