Munching around MidlandJuly 25, 2018

Dr. Chris Brown came to Midland College in the summer of 2017 to teach “Technical and Business Writing” and “English Composition.” He moved 1,400 miles from Minnesota to West Texas in three weeks leaving his new home in disarray. His office supplies took over his kitchen, so he did what we all do when moving into a new place: eat out. Then, he got an idea.

“I realized I had eaten at quite a few restaurants, so months later I thought, ‘I will try to eat at as many restaurants as I can,’” said Dr. Brown.

He has now eaten at more than 120 Midland restaurants. He keeps a meticulous list and highlights those he likes just a little bit more in yellow. (He does not have favorites.) Sadly, you cannot read his reviews anywhere. He keeps his opinions to himself.

“I am hesitant to blog or write reviews on social media because I do not want to be negative,” said Dr. Brown. “Some reviews can be nasty, and I think there is no need for that unpleasantness.”

As for his ordering preferences, he is low maintenance.

“I have no food allergies,” explained Dr. Brown. “I can eat anything. If I am around a vegetarian I can eat whatever they eat, if I am around people obsessed with meat I can eat steak and ribs. I do not take home doggie bags. I also like to try new things. If I see something on the menu I have never had before, I will order it. The most unusual dish I have eaten is lingua (beef tongue). Chefs cut it into cubes or strips to prepare it, and it is very tender. I like it. I would recommend it.”

However adventurous he is, Dr. Brown’s mainstay is on-campus dining.

“I save a lot of money eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Jack E. Brown Dining Hall during the week,” admitted Dr. Brown. “Eating there singlehandedly allows me to indulge myself in trying so many restaurants on weekends. The home cooked meals at Jack E. Brown are great, but I also enjoy it because I get to eat with and get to know people outside of the division where I work.”

While it is a no brainer to eat on campus, Dr. Brown hesitates when asked who his dream dinner guest (dead or alive) would be.

“I do not want to eat with Shakespeare or Chaucer,” he explained. “If I could meet artists I admire I worry I would be disappointed. I do not want to know the truth about their works. I am sure those great writers would exclaim, ‘That is not what I meant!’ I am just happy to be around thoughtful, sensitive, intelligent, funny people.”

Dr. Brown is originally from South Alabama. A graduate of a community college himself (then Faulkner State Community College, now renamed Coastal Alabama Community College), Dr. Brown says his associate degree opened doors.

“I received a creative writing scholarship,” remembered Dr. Brown. “I wrote a poem and that scholarship helped make all my subsequent education possible. Since then, I have always been a fan and supporter of community colleges. I am really happy to be working at one.”

Dr. Brown got his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English at the University of South Alabama. His first graduate class was in Shakespeare while studying abroad in London.

“That opportunity was a life-changing experience,” said Dr. Brown. “After I took that class I knew I wanted to work in higher education, and I started building my life around making it happen.” 

He received his doctorate from Indiana University in English Medieval Studies with a minor in Literary Theory.

For those students interested in following his footsteps, Dr. Brown recommends becoming a bookworm.

“You should always be reading books to push and challenge you,” Dr. Brown advised. “One of my favorites is Fearless Speech by Michel Foucault. Lately I have been reading books about West Texas to learn more about where I live.”

Dr. Brown has immersed himself in West Texas culture. He enjoys the arts. Outside of work he enjoys attending events at the Wagner Noël, the Midland Community Theater, the McCormick Art Gallery and Midland College student recitals. He also likes to support student athletes by attending their games.

“I keep hearing people lament, ‘There is nothing to do in Midland,’” said Dr. Brown. “That remark surprises me because between work, eating out and attending cultural events, there are more things to do than I have time to do them!”