Office Space: Joshua Thusat

With big city dreams, ECC Associate Professor of English Joshua Thusat moved to Chicago after graduating from Bowling Green State University. When those dreams didn’t happen right away, he returned to school to earn another master’s degree in linguistics and teaching English as a Second Language. He taught at several local colleges and universities before coming to ECC in 2019. “I love ECC,” he said. “It is so nice and bright, and the people are great. Plus, I get to teach a lot of literature.” 

It wasn’t until middle school that Thusat developed a passion for literature. “I had teachers giving me books, which really switched me on. I would get into different series that you could keep reading,” recalls Thusat.  

“ECC is special because there is such a positive culture here,” he said. “We think of ideas, and people will say, ‘Let’s try that!’ It is very nurturing and supportive. And the students are wonderful.” 

Thusat is the director of the Writers Center, which hosts Spark Sessions every Tuesday. These sessions offer students an opportunity to work on different types of writing styles. The Writers Center also hosts Coffee House, a community-based gathering to share works, get inspiration, and more.  

Spark Sessions are Tuesdays through November 4. The next Coffee House is on October 7, from 6 to 8 pm. 

Learn more about this word wizard below!  

What is the theme of your space? Conversational pieces, things that someone can look at, and we might have a philosophical conversation about them. I have Montaine back here, even though everyone thinks it is Shakespeare. I have a little stack of cassettes that we found one day, and my dad actually got me a cassette player for my birthday. 

What is your favorite thing in here and why? The photo of my dog. Sal is a 130-pound Leonberger. His soft, velvety nose is so calming when you get home. We got him in 2020, he is our COVID dog. We named him Salve. After a trip to Italy, we learned that they say “Salve,” which means good health.  

Where is your snack stash and what is your go-to? My stash is usually in the common room fridge. I probably have cold cookies in there. I like them cold, so sometimes I will bring them from the freezer. They are crunchy, and then they last a little longer.  

Do you listen to anything while you are working? Like music or a podcast? Soft things, mostly. Classical music if I am in that mood.  

What is something unexpected in here? Some people come in here a lot and are still surprised to see the poster of MLB parks behind my door. They say, “Has this always been here?” Then they will stand there and try to figure out which park is represented.