Dr. Jane Beal

Dr. Jane Beal (Ph.D., University of California, Davis) is a tenured, full Professor of English Literature and recent past Chair of the English Department at the University of La Verne in southern California. She received her BA, MA, and PhD in English, with specializations in medieval and early modern literature, and an MFA in Creative Writing. She also holds a Certificate in Midwifery from Mercy in Action College of Midwifery and a graduate Certificate in Narrative Medicine from Bay Path University. Prior to joining the University of La Verne, she taught at Wheaton College, Colorado Christian University, and UC Davis, and she served as a midwife in the U.S., Uganda, and the Philippines. She regularly publishes poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction as well as literary and cultural criticism. She is the author or editor of eight academic books and over forty peer-reviewed articles and chapters, primarily on the Pearl-poet, the Polychronicon, and the mythology of J.R.R. Tolkien. Her poetry collections include Sanctuary, Rising, and Song of the Selkie, eight haiku micro-chaps, and three audio recording projects combining poetry and music, “Songs from the Secret Life,” “Love Song,” and “The Jazz Bird,” available from Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify. She loves to share her legacy of learning with her students in order to help them to grow holistically and fulfill their dreams for their lives.