Dr. Bradley Gambill

Dr. Brad Gambill, co-editor of The Word in the English Classroom: Best Practices of Faith Integration, grew up in Oklahoma and, in fact, much of his scholarly research and creative work is grounded in the culture of his home state.

During his more than ten years at JBU,  Dr. Gambill has taught courses in Cherokee literature, 20^th Century Native American Literature and a one-hour course in which students retrace the Northern Route of the Trail of Tears from Georgia, through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, and into Oklahoma. Every fall, first-year students in his Gateway Seminar in Christian Scholarship attend the Cherokee National Holiday in Tahlequah, OK and hear the principal chief deliver his/her “State of the Nation Address.” He has given scholarly presentations on Cherokee writers John Milton Oskison and Diane Glancy.

Much of Dr. Gambill’s creative writing takes place in Oklahoma, including his full-length play The 5 & Dime Girls and several of his one-act plays. Additionally, he has written two Oklahoma-based novels, Baby’s Blues and No Joy for Matisse. At JBU, he teaches Intro to Creative Writing and Playwriting. However, he does not require his creative writing students to write about Oklahoma.

As head of the English Department, Dr. Gambill helps coordinate courses and also serves as the faculty sponsor of Sigma Tau Delta, a national honors society for high-achieving students passionate about literature, literacy, and creative writing. The organization has organized poetry slams, hosted creative writing workshops, tutored at-risk students in area schools, and completed book drives for local non-for-profit organizations, such as prisons and shelters.