Karen Compton, instructor, earned her B.A. in English and mass communication and her M.A. in English at Winthrop University. She started her college teaching career at Emmanuel College in the fall of 2000. She teaches freshman composition, introduction to literature, and American literature and directs the Student Success Center. Her interests include composition, American literature, African American literature, and tutor training. Her master’s thesis was entitled “Examination of the Microcosm in Katherine Anne Porter’s Ship of Fools, Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, and Stephen Crane’s ‘The Open Boat.’” Mrs. Compton and her husband, Steve, live in Anderson, S.C., and have two children, Patricia Ann and Ben.