Let me be clear about one thing: I loved getting my English degree. I loved my professors and how they helped me to sharpen my skills as a writer and a critical reader. I loved getting to have discussions with and learn from people who thought differently from me. Most of all, I loved being in a community of people who care as much as I do about the stories we tell. That being said, I always felt as if literary academics and I were not quite on the same page (no pun intended). As the years have gone on, so has my struggle to put into words the exact…