Collegiate Times

Sam Riley

“I always have joked that it would be fun to have my own university, but I thought that would never happen,” he said. “So this was the closest thing I would get — to set up (a program) how I would like it.”

It wasn’t until 1981 when Riley found his way to Blacksburg, Va., at which time he was asked to be the head of the communication department at Tech, a position he no longer holds.

He is now most known for teaching editorial writing and magazine writing. Colin Kerr, a senior communication major, previously took his editorial writing course and enjoyed it so much that he enrolled in the latter.

“What sets him apart from other professors is that he teaches his class as though he is only speaking to one person; he is incredibly personal and personable,” Kerr said.

Adding flavor to his courses, Riley tells humorous anecdotes about his experience serving in the military overseas — Kerr even called him a “storytelling teacher.”

“(His stories) bring you closer to wanting to understand who he is, and I enjoyed that so much,” Kerr said. “I had never sat in on a class like his in all of my four years at Tech.”

Riley’s tales are also useful for students who need to grasp important writing concepts.

“(His teaching) helps when you think back on your own life and the interesting stories you could write about that you might not normally tell, but could interest anyone,” Kerr said.

In addition to teaching, Riley has used his gift as a narrator to write professionally, both as a journalist and a scholar. He also delved — apprehensively — into the book publishing industry.

He approached a colleague, who had published many works, for advice about finding a book publisher. He just happened to be on the phone with his own publisher at the time and let Riley talk to him.

“And that’s all it took,” Riley said.

Since then, Riley has authored more than 15 books, many of which have detailed his keen interest in the history of magazine writing.

That random phone conversation was another instance of serendipity, guiding him in yet a different direction.

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A version of this article appeared in the Jan 27 issue of the Collegiate Times.