After earning a doctorate
in modern British and American literature from Vanderbilt University,
Virginia native Catherine Elick returned to the beautiful Shenandoah
Valley following a stint as editor for a conservation magazine to teach
at Bridgewater College, where she is currently holds the titles of
Professor of English and Chair of the English Department. Winner of the
Ben and Janice Wade Outstanding Teaching Award, she offers the
introductory course in children’s literature, a course in 19th-century
children’s literature, the occasional seminar in children’s fantasy, as
well as courses in British, Irish and Russian literature. She has
published on such authors as Hugh Lofting, C. S. Lewis, P. L. Travers,
and Helen Cresswell. A member of the Children’s Literature Association
since 1990, she has presented papers at many of its annual conferences
and served on the ChLA Article Award Committee from 2003-2005. She
resides in Bridgewater with her husband, Edward Huffstetler, also an
English professor and ChLA member, their family and a lively household
of animals.