The art of ideas

The PEN American Center recently honored Stepan Simek, assistant professor of theatre, with associate membership and a prestigious award for his translation from the Czech of a play by Petr Zelenka and one by Iva Volankova. In naming Simek, the writers’ association brought national recognition to a faculty member who has enthralled students and colleagues —not to mention flocks of kids in his neighborhood—with his wit, intelligence, and dedication to family, theatre, the arts, and stimulating conversation.

Born in Prague, Simek found political asylum in the United States sometime after his family, dissidents in Czechoslovakia, fled to Switzerland. He brings to his life and his work sensibilities and lessons learned from his father (“Understand human follies and accept them for what they are”) and mother (“Truth without fantasy is only half the truth”).

Those lessons find expression in his belief that “to teach is to inspire, to open up horizons unknown to the student, to create bridges of connection between different facets of intellectual and artistic questions. I see teaching as a two-way process: I can inspire students as much as they can inspire me. This back and forth—this exchange of ideas, creativity, and inspiration—is what makes teaching a process of learning as well.”