Richard Matlak
Ph.D., Director of CISS

Richard Matlak is the Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary and Special Studies and Professor of English at the College. He received his B.A. in English from the University of Pittsburgh (1965), his M.A. in English from Carnegie-Mellon University (1967) , and Ph.D. from Indiana University, Bloomington (1975). Professor Matlak began teaching at the College of the Holy Cross in 1977, following a four-year appointment at Boston University. His academic and scholarly specialty is English Romantic Literature. His administrative service includes directing the Interdisciplinary Studies Program, serving twice as Acting Director of CISS, directing the College Honors Program, and serving as Chair of the English Department. His publications include articles in PMLA, Studies in Romanticism, The Wordsworth Circle, European Romantic Review, Romanticism on the Net, and in various collections. He has edited Approaches to Teaching Coleridge's Poetry and Prose (MLA, 1991) and co-edited with Anne K. Mellor the teaching anthology, British Literature: 1780-1830, (Harcourt Brace, 1996). He has also authored two psycho-biographies, The Poetry of Relationship: The Wordsworths and Coleridge, 1797-1800 (St. Martin's, 1997) and, soon to be published, Deep Distresses: William Wordsworth - John Wordsworth - Sir George Beaumont, 1800-1809 (Delaware, 2003). He resides with his wife, Jo, in Holden, Massachusetts. They have three daughters and three grandchildren.