29 December 2011 To the Members of the Hiring Committee, It is my very great pleasure to write a glowing recommendation on behalf of Heather

Pratt. I have known Heather since September of 2009, and I am well-qualified to comment on her potential as a teacher. Heather was in two American literature classes with me and she earned an A in both. In what follows, I will describe my sense of Heather's considerable intellectual and personal strengths. I first encountered Heather when she was a member of my senior seminar, Reading in Early America. I recall that in the very first meeting of that seminar, Heather spoke with poise and eloquence; we were doing a close reading of a text by Roger Williams, and Heather offered several insightful comments about a complex passage. That first encounter with Heather revealed to me what I would later recognize as characteristic of her: a passionate interest in the political dimension of cultural production. But Heather's commitment to social justice does not result in superficial, schematic interpretations; instead, she challenges herself (and those around her) to be as precise as possible in engaging with both texts and contexts. After the first meeting of that senior seminar, I learned with some surprise that Heather was a junior; her self-possession, and the nuance and sophistication of her comments, struck me as all the more remarkable. Throughout the rest of that semester, and in my Early American Women Writers course the next term, Heather distinguished herself as a self-directed and self-motivated young scholar. She sought me out to speak about her ideas for essays, and she was always eager to pursue avenues of research I suggested. In all of the essays she wrote for me, she made clear her interest in investigating the real-world ramifications of literary representation. Indeed, her senior honors thesis is evidence that her intellectual energy is in close, symbiotic relation to her activism; her honesty and integrity, her commitment to the rights of others, sustained her in that important project. I can say without hesitation that Heather is one of the top three or four students I have taught during my 15 years at Colby. In offering that judgment, I note again how impressed I have been with the extent to which Heather is not only highly intelligent. She also inhabits her politics fully. She is an ambitious, disciplined researcher; a sensitive, rigorous critic; and a sharp, careful writer. These talents, in turn, will shape her pedagogical style. Heather is, consistently, sensitive to the viewpoints of those around her. In class discussions, again and again, she was deft in framing her perspective in relation to that of her classmates; without fail, at the end of those exchanges, she was able to perform generous, synthetic interpretations that did not collapse difference but instead achieved an admirable inclusivity. For all of the reasons, it is my belief that Heather will be an inspiring, highly effective teacher. The students in her classroom will be fortunate, indeed. Sincerely,

Katherine Stubbs Co-Chair, Department of English Associate Professor of English Colby College 5280 Mayflower Hill Drive Waterville, Maine 04901 kmstubbs@colby.edu