2008 Woodie Awards
Around the world with Ford
Behind the Podium
Alex Mariscal
Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: Features
"Sometimes I think people live too much in the present," said William Ford, UIC lecturer. "They don't know how the present came to be this way. We need to look to the past and learn from those human experiences of happiness, suffering, how they lived and use this to enjoy our own lives."
Embracing the past has become more than a lesson plan for Ford, who teaches literature and composition courses at UIC: it is a philosophy that has shaped his life.
Born in Newark, N.J., Ford was raised on the classical sounds of Bach and Brahms, and developed a love for the arts. A very accomplished student throughout his high school and college years, Ford mainly excelled in classical subjects of literature, history and philosophy.
"I've always loved literature, history and philosophy. I've always had a natural love for them and have been genuinely curious, so I did well," said Ford. "I'm not particularly good in math. I have an appreciation for mathematics, though."
Ford attended Middlebury College in Vermont his freshman year but dropped out to work, travel and pursue his musical aspirations. The summer of 1970 started an adventure for Ford with his first excursion to Europe.
"It was an adventure, I was 19 and went with four other guys. We would hitchhike around England until we bought a car at an auction, the U.S. dollar was very strong then," said Ford. "Once we got the car we would split into groups and meet up in cities; France, Denmark, Sweden, England. After nine weeks we sold back the car to the same auction for nearly the amount of money we spent on it. We didn't see museums or churches but it was an education in itself, we learned a bit about another world."
During his years away from school, Ford was involved with several bands such as the Night Owls, a cover band of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who and many other popular rock artists of the time. He also contributed his writing and played the guitar for the Dean Brothers, who became popular locally in upstate New York and made a few records.
Embracing the past has become more than a lesson plan for Ford, who teaches literature and composition courses at UIC: it is a philosophy that has shaped his life.
Born in Newark, N.J., Ford was raised on the classical sounds of Bach and Brahms, and developed a love for the arts. A very accomplished student throughout his high school and college years, Ford mainly excelled in classical subjects of literature, history and philosophy.
"I've always loved literature, history and philosophy. I've always had a natural love for them and have been genuinely curious, so I did well," said Ford. "I'm not particularly good in math. I have an appreciation for mathematics, though."
Ford attended Middlebury College in Vermont his freshman year but dropped out to work, travel and pursue his musical aspirations. The summer of 1970 started an adventure for Ford with his first excursion to Europe.
"It was an adventure, I was 19 and went with four other guys. We would hitchhike around England until we bought a car at an auction, the U.S. dollar was very strong then," said Ford. "Once we got the car we would split into groups and meet up in cities; France, Denmark, Sweden, England. After nine weeks we sold back the car to the same auction for nearly the amount of money we spent on it. We didn't see museums or churches but it was an education in itself, we learned a bit about another world."
During his years away from school, Ford was involved with several bands such as the Night Owls, a cover band of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who and many other popular rock artists of the time. He also contributed his writing and played the guitar for the Dean Brothers, who became popular locally in upstate New York and made a few records.
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