“Aquinas opened the door to my life. I met the love of my life here. His love is in every image I imagine and every page I write.”
Linda and Tony jokingly tell people that they have three children: a son, Brian, a daughter, Ellen, and the Contemporary Writers Series at Aquinas College.
The idea for the Contemporary Writers Series was conceived in the late 1970s when Linda was in the Masters of Fine Arts program at Goddard College in Vermont. There she was exposed to world-renowned authors and poets who were at the start of their careers. “The aura of being around these people helped me appreciate readings and class discussions with talented authors. I always thought that if I had the wherewithal and chance to do something like this at our alma mater, I would.”
In the mid-90s, and after years of success in their careers, Linda and Tony presented the Contemporary Writers Series to Aquinas leaders. They spent a couple of years building the infrastructure, funding the operating budget and later started an endowment for ongoing support. The list of authors who have come to Aquinas through the Contemporary Writers Series is nothing short of phenomenal, including the likes of Seamus Heaney, Michael Ondaatje and Joy Harjo. This year is no exception, with the Contemporary Writers Series marking its 25th season.
Their Story Began at Aquinas
Tony and Linda met when they were freshmen in a humanities class in 1968. She was from Cleveland, Ohio, and on a full-ride GM scholarship to study political science, sociology and economics. Tony had attended St. Joseph Seminary for high school, and at the time, it was set up that all seminarians would go to Aquinas for two years before going to a seminary elsewhere in the country to gain wider experience leading to a BA. Tony left Aquinas junior year to attend the University of San Diego but, as he describes, “I began thinking that my life was being guided in a different direction.” Years of working as an orderly during the summer months and volunteering at St. Mary’s led him to think about medicine. After successfully taking an anatomy class in San Diego—quite a change from his philosophy major—Tony left the seminary and returned to Aquinas to double major in philosophy and biology with a chemistry minor. He graduated in ’73 and went on to Wayne State University Medical School. He proposed to Linda that same year.
Tony enjoyed a long career as a general surgeon before retiring in 2017. “Aquinas allowed me the opportunity to think about the true course of my life and supported me in the decisions that I made as I proceeded in my career. It prepared me to take on the rigors of medical school and beyond,” Tony said.
After earning her MFA, Linda has authored twelve collections of poetry, including The Blue Divide, The Lake Michigan Mermaid (2019 Michigan Notable Book), Talking Diamonds and Amber Necklace from Gdansk. In 2003, she was named the first Poet Laureate of Grand Rapids, Michigan. She continues to write, publish and teach—with no current plans to retire— and just completed a new manuscript of prose poems.
“Aquinas opened the door to my life. I met the love of my life here. His love is in every image I imagine and every page I write,” Linda said. “I also met some of my best friends here. These connections have supported, encouraged and nurtured me. In addition, I took a course in Creative Writing from Herbert W. Martin which helped lay the groundwork for pursuing my career in poetry.”
Giving Back
Tony and Linda have chosen to give back to Aquinas in a variety of ways. In addition to the Contemporary Writers Series, they recently donated both a work of art and a significant monetary gift to benefit Albertus Magnus Hall of Science. They also funded the Foster Planet Walk on campus. Linda and Tony plan to leave a bequest to the College that includes part of their extensive book collection for the library.