Medusa linocuts, Macbeth and Patti Smith, oh my! This month, Kate Lawson — admired and beloved by many students — was voted faculty of the month. I got to sit down with Lawson, faculty fellow at King’s, FYP tutor and instructor of contemporary studies, and had the pleasure of getting to know her childhood memories, passion for philosophy and much more.

Madeleine Hurley: Do you have any favourite places you’ve traveled to?

Kate Lawson: Before I started FYP last year, I went to Athens for the first time, and it was so incredible getting to stand where Plato taught and it’s just such an interesting contemporary city as well. I spent a lot of time in the anarchist neighbourhood, which was just so fascinating and fun.

MH: What are you passionate about in life?

KL: Before I studied philosophy, I worked in theatre and I studied yoga and meditation. So, I would say those are my two passions on top of philosophy, which is my biggest passion.

MH: What do you find most rewarding about teaching philosophy?

KL: For me, the most rewarding thing is giving people the language to see the world differently and to be able to figure out how to live in a way that is ethical and rich and full. Sometimes, you can see that “clicking” for students and that moment of just seeing the world in a new way. Getting to teach philosophy, contemporary studies and FYP is like getting to sit around a campfire at the end of the night and have those deep conversations with other human beings about why the world is the way it is.

MH: Do you have any favourite philosophers who influence you?

KL: I wrote my dissertation on Simone Weil and she’s definitely the philosopher who’s most influential on the way I see the world. She has a philosophy that’s really focused on ethics and social justice and thinking through how to always include those who are marginalized in your vision of the world.

MH: What is your favourite thing about being in Halifax?

KL: Being on the water is really incredible. I think a lot about the beginning of [Herman] Melville’s Moby Dick when you’re walking down the street and to paraphrase, you just want to “throw off everybody’s hat,” and if you have this sad or angry or melancholy sense, you can go to the water. So, I think there’s something very beautiful about being right on the water that is just so fabulous about Halifax. 

MH: Do you have a favourite childhood memory?

KL: I grew up in Stratford, Ontario, so for me, probably one of my favourite memories growing up would be going to the Stratford Festival and theatre which was always so wonderful and fulfilling. I remember being five or six years old and going to see Macbeth, and just being blown away by the witches. As a child, one of the most incredible things was to get to experience the magic of the theatre.

MH: Do you have a favourite show or production?

KL: I love theatre of the absurd and dark comedy. One of my favourite productions that I got to see was Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night. I saw it in New York and it starred Philip Seymour Hoffman, Brian Dennehy and Vanessa Redgrave. I was in the very back row and I had barely got a ticket. It was incredible.

MH: Who is your favourite musician?

KL: Patti Smith is my all-time favourite. I love her poetry, her music, her books. I love her book M Train. She is hands down my favourite artist, but I also really like Leonard Cohen and The National.

MH: Is there any specific art you like to pursue in your spare time?

KL: The last couple of years, I’ve been doing a lot of linocuts, so just an easier version of wood block cuts which is so fun to do. Last year, I made a Medusa print which was a lot of fun.

MH: It’s getting close to the time of oral exams for FYP students. Do you have any advice for preparing for oral exams?

KL: Get a really good night’s sleep beforehand, eat a good breakfast and do your best to come in and enjoy a conversation around the texts. What we’re asking students to do is step into enjoying these incredible texts with us. So do all the work beforehand, and when you get to the exam or the finish line, just enjoy having a conversation about some of the greatest works of writing in history.

MH: What is your favourite thing about working at King’s?

KL: Easily, the students. I’ve taught at a few different universities, and King’s students are exceptional. They are so engaged and thoughtful. It’s such a pleasure to be at King’s and work with students like this, which is so rare, so I really appreciate it.