I am a retired Professor of English Emeritus from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. I moved to LaGrange five years ago to be nearer family here and in Birmingham, my home town. I received my PH.D. in English at LSU, and began my career at Georgia State University, then finished the bulk of it at UL-Lafayette, a rich cultural region in the heart of Cajun Louisiana.
My maiden name was Tortorici, and my heritage is Sicilian. All my grandparents were born in Sicily. I am proud of my Italian heritage, and continue it through my cooking and entertainment of friends, my love of music (opera), and of art.
Shortly after marrying in 1970, my husband and I moved to Manchester, England where he worked on a second Masters Degree in Literature. Then we lived in Bray, Ireland for 6 months. In 1980-81, we took our two sons to Milan, Italy and lived there for a year while I learned Italian, our sons went to Italian schools, and my husband was a Fulbright Professor of American Literature at the University of Milan. This began my sons’ love of travel, a love our whole family shares.
These two sons Matthew and Anthony are now college professors. I have two grandsons, and two wonderful daughters-in-law. My husband Jim, who is deceased, was also a college professor and my colleague in English departments throughout my career.
Since coming to LaGrange, I have gotten involved in many activities: Symphony Board; Library Board (I am the new President of the Friends of LaGrange Memorial Library); Hillside Montessori Board; Vestry of St. Mark’s Episcopal. I am also a member of three great book clubs: Round Table (the oldest in LaGrange), St. Mark’s Reading Group, and Pathfinders of First Presbyterian. And I have been able to continue my love of teaching by teaching community classes in LaGrange, first at LaGrange College, and now at our wonderful bookstore, Pretty Good Books.
During my career, I have been fortunate to work with Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and teachers, holding summer teaching institutes for them and teaching community classes for adults. For my work, I was awarded a special Humanities Award from La Humanities, as well as a Women Who Mean Business Award from the Professional Women’s Association of Lafayette, LA.
One of the most rewarding things I’ve done in my career is teach in Study Abroad: six weeks in Paris, six weeks in Florence, Italy; and two weeks in London. Amazing and wonderful experiences introducing students to these iconic cities and their treasures.
About Mary Ann Wilson
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
As I mentioned above, we are a family of teachers. Both sons are college professors, daughters-in-law profs and teachers. My older son Matthew is Associate Professor of Political Science at SMU in Dallas as well as Head of the Center for Faith and Learning at SMU. My younger son Anthony is head of the English Program at LaGrange College.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
As a university professor throughout my career, I was able to pursue my love of teaching and research. I’ve published books and articles on southern women writers Kate Chopin, Flannery O’Connor, Grace King, and Rebecca Wells. My last published piece before retiring was an essay in a book about representations of the South in popular culture, specifically television. It was titled: “Redneck Feng-shui”: DUCK DYNASTY and the Other Louisiana.” This was in a book called SMALL SCREEN SOUTHS, published by the LSU Press.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
Find something you love and learn how to do it; then teach others how. It’s a kind of immortality.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
Hah! Well, I hope to be active and socially engaged in the community and continuing my work with adult education. I hope to go back to Italy and continue to travel both abroad and domestically.
Mary Ann Wilson & Our Community
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
Mare Sol , Nutwood and El Rio Grande
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
Five years
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
I have met many wonderful and interesting people. Sorry, I just can’t point to one.
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
Since I don’t have a long history here, I don’t have much nostalgia for “how it used to be.” Since I love traveling, I also enjoy shopping at places like Tournesol where you can get a taste of other countries and locales beyond the local.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
LaGrange is a wonderful, welcoming place that has a rich arts community linking me to my work with humanities and the arts in my past career. One gem is our LaGrange Symphony, a world class orchestra that blew me away the first time I attended.
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
I would love to have lunch with my friend and former colleague Christine DeVine. She lives in her birthplace, England, now, and I visited her there last summer. I’d like her to pop over for a lunch at Nutwood Winery when everything is in bloom. We share a love of flowers and gardening.
For Fun
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
THE GODFATHER
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I taught piano lessons for several years in Atlanta, in my home, when my sons were young. I love music, and this was a way to share my love and knowledge with neighborhood children who would come to our house first in Stone Mountain, then in Candler Lake.
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
Not sure what this question means. I’m thinking books, so I’ll answer books: I just read Barbara Kingsolver’s DEMON COPPERHEAD. It’s a 21st century coming of age story about a young orphan boy in Appalachia, ground zero for the opioid epidemic. She channels other classic coming of age books like HUCKLEBERRY FINN and CATCHER IN THE RYE. A masterful novel that brings us squarely into the world we live in now.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
Anybody sincere and engaged with the world, who asks sincere questions about other people, and who cares.
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Wherever I find myself at a particular time in my life. Home is a moveable feast.
