In Memoriam: Dr. Paulette Sauders

As we come off a series of posts on C. S. Lewis, I wish to take a moment and remember or introduce readers to Dr. Paulette Sauders. My wife and I had the opportunity to attend Dr. Sauders’ memorial service on 17 May. Those who spoke gave testimony to a career and life of impact.

As her obituary states, Dr. Sauders taught in the English department at Grace College [my undergrad alma mater] for 55 years, chairing the department for 15. She was granted the title of Professor Emerita, the only woman to have been so honored in the history of the school.

Dr. Sauders earned her PhD from Ball State University in 1988, where she wrote her dissertation on C. S. Lewis. The premise of her study in Lewis was though The Four Loves was among the last of Lewis’ work to be published, his philosophy on love is both evident and foundational throughout his fiction. Her dissertation has been downloaded and or cited over 2000 times—a bestseller when it comes to such texts.

I was not an English major; however, I took most of my electives from the English program. The course for which I sat under Sauders was Shakespeare. I focused my study on King Lear, and found the sonnets fascinating. In that semester Sauders deconstructed what we thought we knew, and rebuilt an enduring understanding and appreciation for the Bard—one I carry to this day.

I’m deeply grateful she was able to attend one of my readings on campus and share in the impact she had on my literary life.