Faculty couples share secrets of Midd marriages

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Who says romance is dead at Middlebury? Don't let all of their different last names fool you; many of your professors are romantically involved. Just in time for Valentine's Day, The Campus uncovers how faculty members paired off and shacked up at the College.
Whether they bonded over Shakespeare or science, these smarties found that a shared love for academia strengthened their bond.
MARY ELLEN AND JOHN BERTOLINI
Perhaps the most cohesive and confused couple - no, no, the most droll and disillusioned - no wait, the most romantic and reasonable faculty couple on campus is…You know what? Let's hear the story straight from the Bertolinis themselves:
Recalling how they met, John explained, "My college buddies discovered that an all-women's college within driving distance was auditioning men for George Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man. As an experienced Shakespearean leading actor, I thought I would give them the chance to cast me. We also thought this was an excellent opportunity to, er, meet girls. After my triumphant reading, as I walked back to my seat, a beautiful young female winked at me. I realized how impressed she was with my audition, and thought to myself, 'Zowee!' We were both cast as the romantic leads; since our two characters married in the play, it seemed the only logical thing for us to do was to do likewise, and we did."
As Mary Ellen recalled, he seemed a little nervous during his audition, so I winked at him to give him a little encouragement. We were both cast in the leading roles, and that incident has produced two daughters and three books on Shaw."
According to John, they moved to Middlebury because of "the need for an income to support us in our book-and-record-buying, movie- and theatre-going habits. Middlebury was the closest place to New York City I could find that would pay me a salary to talk about books. Only later did I realize we would have to live here." Mary Ellen added that "when New York City went broke in the '70s, John received a job offer from Middlebury College. When we arrived we were shocked to hear that the biggest news in the state was that a moose had been sighted in downtown Burlington. We almost left."
John also remembered the couple's first date. "Ah yes, I remember it well," he said. "We met at 9; I was on time, a tenor sang. A dazzling April Moon. She lost a glove. A carriage ride. That brilliant sky. Those Russian songs. She wore a gown of gold. . .or did she?"
"John asked me to go to the cast party for Arms and the Man with him," said Mary Ellen. "We were both going anyway, but going together was a big deal. I was pretty relieved because I had been dating the young man who played my father in the play. Going with John reduced the creepiness a bit. "
Of course, there are both ups and downs of being a faculty couple. John's ups: "Since her office is in the library, I can get her to return all the DVDs I take out. She loves to help me out in little ways like that." His downs: "Sometimes I have to pick her up on campus when her car won't start for some reason."
Mary Ellen's ups: "I can get a ride to campus when my car breaks down. We can also talk in shorthand about whatever is going on here." Her downs: "He's always asking me to take his videos back to the library."
Lastly, John gave some advice about his personal approach to Feb. 14 festivities. "St. Valentine's Day is such a wonderful holiday," he said, "it should be celebrated any day of the year - arbitrarily. I myself, for example, choose to celebrate it on Feb. 15 - when boxes of chocolates are 50 percent off."
"Our children practically grew up on campus, and our oldest daughter graduated from Middlebury in 2000," added Mary Ellen. "Our youngest daughter decided not to attend college here. She thought three Bertolinis in one place were enough and she enrolled at NYU. Both of our daughters have escaped to New York, which is now going broke again. By the way, I love Valentine's Day and think it should always be celebrated on February 14th."
Mary Ellen Bertolini is a professional writing tutor and a lecturer in the Writing Program.
John Bertolini is the Ellis Professor of English and Liberal Arts.
-Kaylen Baker
JAMES BERG AND MARTHA WOODRUFF
Once upon a time, in the summer of 1998, James Berg spotted Ancient Greek buff Martha Woodruff at a Breadloaf faculty meeting, when he came to work for a one-year visiting position at Middlebury College. It was not quite love at first sight, but rather detection at first sight for Berg. Still, Eros' arrow certainly hit the mark.
A friend of Berg's had met Woodruff at a philosophy conference in Italy, and when this friend discovered Berg would be working at Middlebury, she had told Berg he would like Woodruff. (Here the story becomes a little fuzzy, since it is hard to decipher if Berg's friend meant "like" or meant like like. Perhaps she meant "friendly like" and hoped any emotional attachment would grow. This distinction shall be left for the reader to imagine.) Nevertheless, Berg recognized the young Woodruff instantly from his friend's description: "She's ethereal, wears scarves and teaches philosophy," he was warned.
They met at the luncheon following the meeting, and in an attempt to appear intelligent, Berg asked Woodruff, who was preparing her course on the boundaries between Philosophy and Literature, "Are they boundaries, or are they borders?"
His question fed the fire of the "Ancient Quarrel" between philosophy and literature, which they debated over lunch. When they bumped into each other in Alexander Twilight Hall a few days later, they sparred again in the vernacular over Diotima's definition of love from Plato's Symposium. But Woodruff's lack of a vehicle and Berg's lack of dancing feet officially brought the two together, when Berg proposed they play hooky and swing by the Chinese restaurant instead of swinging partners around at a faculty dance lesson.
When the year was over and Berg left for a tenure-track position in Iowa, the Fates could not seem to separate their strings. The two worked to stay together through a confusing tangle of highway commutes, incorrect watches and post-time-zone-change headaches. Finally, they were married in a ceremony beautifully conducted and designed in a philosophical/literary style by Middlebury Professor and Dana Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Victor Nuovo. Of course, a bit of Diotima's speech was thrown into the wedding ceremony - life among Iowan flatlanders ­­- "a sign of true love," Woodruff explains, along with a baby named Noah, and a Harvard position.
Finally, a full-time place opened up for Berg in the English Department at Middlebury. With the geography struggle between two full-time teachers and a swelling toddler settled once and for all, they have managed to live happily ever. after.
James Berg is a visiting assistant professor of English and American literatures.
Martha Woodruff is an associate professor of philosophy.
-Kaylen Baker
REBECCA BENNETTE AND JAMES FITZSIMMONS
When Rebecca Bennette and James Fitzsimmons met during graduate school at Harvard University, they had no idea that their first date would eventually lead to years of marriage and a move into the arctic isolation of Middlebury, Vt.
Bennette described their first date as, "Good, though he made us go Dutch."
"He claims that he thought the emancipated woman in me might be offended if he offered to pay for my meal," she explained. "I think he was just trying to save money!"
Does her husband remember his real motives for not footing the bill?
Fitzsimmons cannot actually remember what they did on their first date. He noted, though, that the details may not be as important as the outcome. "As for what it was like, well, we've been together for over 10 years and I still love her," he said. "So my guess is that it probably went well."
Since that fateful day, the couple has enjoyed many memories together - memories that span years, terr
ains, and continents. "Some of my favorite places we've been together include Angkor Wat and China," said Fitzsimmons. These expeditions have included vacations they have saved up for and Fitzsimmons' voyage to conduct research in Germany early in their relationship. Bennette and Fitzsimmons also enjoy playing it low-key with a picnic or an outing to walk their dog.
During one of their more recent escapades, while they were visiting Bennette's family in Japan, the two were enjoying dinner at a distant relative's house, trying to be on their very best behavior, when Fitzsimmons picked up a piece of food from a platter.
"I knew he thought it was natto (fermenting soy beans)," explained Bennette. "But I also knew it was not natto, but uni (sea urchin gonads). I told him that's not what you think it is, but you should probably eat it anyway since you've taken it…Needless to say, I don't think he'll be making that mistake anytime in the future."
When asked to describe his wife in three words, Fitzsimmons did not choose any negative adjectives, even with his less-than-enjoyable urchin gonad experience.
"Honest, caring and beautiful," were the words he landed on. "I would have included good judgment, but it's two words … 'Smarter than me' would also work, but then I'd have to use up my other words," he said.
The two share a definite love, a passion for their academic fields and a fun-filled relationship. Why not share the same last name?
The first reason pertains to academics: it is difficult to track a person's publications if some of them are under one name and others under another.
"Second," said Bennette, "and this may give my husband's explanation of our first date some more weight: I like my last name just the way it is!"
Rebecca Bennette is an assistant professor of history.
James Fitzsimmons is an assistant professor of anthropology.
-Rachael Jennings
ANTONIA LOSANO AND DANIEL BRAYTON
Professors Antonia Losano and Daniel Brayton have seen many states and shorelines, but through their travels, two things have always endured: their love of literature and of course their love for each other.
Turn the clock back nearly 20 years. It is 1991 and the first day of graduate school. The new year harbors excitement, anxiety and a fresh academic start under the warm stretch of North Carolina sky.
Losano settled into her seat in Victorian Nonfiction Prose at UNC Chapel Hill, and who else found a spot in the class? Daniel Brayton.
"He sat down two seats away from me and made a very intelligent comment about Heidegger," said Losano. "I was impressed."
That day began the journey of their friendship that eventually turned to romance.
"Classes are dangerous!" commented Losano, speaking to the risk of finding your soulmate in an intellectual environment.
After about a year of friendship, the two began dating and then moved to Ithaca together to obtain their Ph.Ds at Cornell University. Once she acquired hers, Losano received a job offer from Middlebury College, which was soon followed by a call about her partner's specialty in Shakespeare and an offer for him as well.
Up they trekked to Middlebury, Vt., where College Chaplain Laurie Jordan married them two years later. They enjoyed a "friendly, local wedding" at Mead Chapel.
"I remember waiting outside [of the Chapel], holding Dan's hand, as students we knew walked by," reflected Losano.
The Chapel still smiles over the couple who have recently, over Winter Term, picked up their belongings and settled down in a new house closer to the College. The more convenient location has allowed them to get rid of their car and walk everywhere: commuting to work, taking the kids to school and strolling through town.
From North Carolina to New York to Vermont, Losano and Brayton have shared many memories: arguing about literature, building their own furniture, sailing and traveling. They also have two young children, ? Nell and Niko, who share their parents' love of literature, always asking for a new story or book.
How could they not? Their parents' most frequent argument is, "Who is a better writer? Charlotte Brontë or Joseph Conrad?"
"Nobody ever wins," Losano said.
Will their children go on to share the couples' passion for literature later in life?
"Let's hope," said Losano. "I mean, I don't think they have much choice. That's all we have in the house ... but maybe they'll go on to be astronauts or scientists!"
Antonia Losano is an associate professor of English and American literatures.
Daniel Brayton is an assistant professor of English and American literatures.
-Rachael Jennings