Saturday, October 02, 2010

Popular professor made medieval literature timely and accessible

As a child, Laurel Amtower fell in love with the pageantry and fantasy of renaissance fairs.

An avid reader who was partial to the “Chronicles of Narnia” and “The Lord of the Rings” books, she grew up to become a dedicated college professor who wrote and taught Chaucer, Shakespeare and medieval literature. She was also known to enjoy the occasional celebrity gossip magazine and Bill Bryson’s humorous books on travel.

Students flocked to her classes because of her energy and ability to make esoteric subjects seem timely and accessible, while her San Diego State University colleagues appreciated her humor and devotion to the college.

Ms. Amtower died of brain cancer Aug. 29 at San Diego Hospice. She was 44.

Click here to read the rest of this article from Sing On San Diego