Professor Holmes retires after decades of teaching at Castleton.

After nearly three decades of teaching, mentoring, and storytelling, English professor Burnham Holmes is retiring, leaving behind a legacy that’s impossible to summarize with a single title. 

“Oh, a man of all the wonders. He is insane. He’s one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met,” said junior Nickels Thomas.

That sentiment echoes across generations of students and colleagues who have learned from Holmes, not just about writing or speaking, but about life itself.

Holmes began teaching at Castleton State College in 1996, bringing with him a rich background in publishing and creative writing.

Before the classroom, there was New York City, Toni Morrison, and “The Bluest Eye.”

“So, I worked for Toni at Random House,” he said. “She wrote on yellow pads with purple felt markers… And I guess I have the distinction of being the first reader of “The Bluest Eye” because I was photocopying her work.”

Holmes had a front-row seat to literary history, including a surreal moment with a civil rights icon. 

“I spent like an hour with Jackie Robinson talking about myself,” he laughed. 

But as time went on, something shifted. 

“I got an itch to teach. It was fun. I come from teachers, I guess. My mother and father were both teachers,” he said.

That itch turned into a calling, rooted in a philosophy of creative authenticity. Holmes reflected on his time working at School of Visual Arts in New York. 

“I liked that SVA had professionals. They didn’t have teachers per se. They had professionals. So, who teaches painting? Painters. Who teaches photography? Photographers. Who teaches writing? Writers. And I really liked that philosophy,” he said.

What defined Holmes’ classroom was his uniquely personal and interactive style. 

“His class is very personal. And I think that’s one of the best things,” Thomas said. “He structures almost all of his classrooms around Effective Speaking. He makes you read in every one of his classes out loud to help you. And I think he’s very good at preparing people and showing people that there’s very bad things that will happen to you along the way, but there’s very good things to look forward to.”

For Holmes, teaching was more than imparting knowledge, it was about seeing students grow into their voices. 

“I think when you see someone who writes something that they’re really proud of… or they give a talk that they feel good about… that’s like a highlight. And that’s probably one of the reasons why you can teach for a long time,” he said.

Alex Chagnon, who took Effective Speaking with Holmes, recalled his lively, engaging demeanor. 

“You know, just very bubbly, you know? He’s always talking. He’s always willing to talk to you. Just a very, very good teacher and a very good man from the short time I’ve known him.”

Even a single class with Holmes could leave a lasting mark. Thomas recounted a moment from his freshman English Composition course in 2022. 

“We did a unit on poetry, which I really liked, and it got me really into writing poetry. And I turned in an assignment, and it was like, ‘This is actually so great. Can I please share this with other professors?’ And it warmed my heart so much,” Thomas said.

Those kinds of moments are what Holmes seemed to live for. 

His advice for teachers: “Believe in your students.” 

“You never know who you’re going to touch. Who you’re going to make a difference for,” he said.

Outside the classroom, Holmes has been a fixture at campus arts events and a frequent contributor to poetry and theater. 

“I see that he goes to a lot of the arts events. I work at the box office,” said Thomas. “I actually saw him at the chorale concert. And I went to take his ticket, and he thought I wanted to shake his hand, so he shook my hand. And it was really funny. I feel like that’s so in character.”

Colleague and fellow English professor Flo Keys reflected on her time working with Holmes. 

“He’s very supportive of the students and that’s a wonderful thing,” she said. 

While she never observed him teach directly, she saw his impact on the community through decades of collaboration. 

“It’s fun to stop by the office when he’s there and just chat … general things about English, not specific to a particular classroom or style,” she said.

She also saw him perform on stage. 

“He’s quite good as an actor. We’ve been in more than one play together. Amazing,” she said.

Holmes’ stories aren’t limited to the academic world. From commuting between New York City and Vermont to taking 15 students to London and seeing 58 plays in four months, his life has always been in motion. 

“My son was with me, and we went to 58 plays in four months,” he said of the London trip. “That was probably the most challenging and the most interesting and the most fun.”

Now, retirement offers a new kind of adventure. 

“I want to spend my life in a creative heat,” he said. “I have four book projects that I’m interested in: A children’s book… a memoir… a novel… a collection of Shakespearean sonnets.” 

He’s also planning to collaborate on a new play. 

“I want to paint pictures and I want to write and just live in a white heat,” he said.

His wish list also includes a return to music. 

“I used to play trumpet, and I want to get a flugelhorn and play mystic,” he said. 

And yes, maybe even a return to Sweden, a country close to his heart. 

“I just hope he gets to go back to Sweden where he really wants to go and enjoy the rest of his retirement among beautiful women like he loves,” Thomas said with a laugh.

Colleague Keys had one more wish for him too. 

“I think one of the things that he would really, really like is to have the New York audience really receive one of his plays… and embrace it and make it a play that people all want to see. So, I’ll wish him that,” she said.

Holmes himself is characteristically reflective about the transition. 

“You never want to stay too long at the dance. You don’t want to be the last one out the door,” he said. “It’s me time now… Just to get up in the morning and ask, “What project do I want to work on?”

To some, this may feel like the end of an era, but not to Holmes. 

“To do things, rather than feeling like it’s the end of the road, feel like it’s a bend in the road,” he said. 

For Years Now

You have been asking, “When do you retire?”

The answer has always been: “You will know.”

This always seemed mysterious,

Like say, writing with invisible ink.

Recently, when asked to sign up for next fall,

You found yourself unable to commit.

You struggled for days, restless, overwhelmed.

Could you afford to? Could you afford not to?

You once went four years without a real job,

Doing this or that to stay afloat.

You said you would never do that again,

But this time you have Social Security and a 401k.

Plus, you are writing this in a rented room.

So, it’s not like you have big aspirations:

Roof, bed, desk, chair, window, heat, food, water.

To be around people, not lonely.

“About time,” said a friend. “Time will go fast now.”

“It was before,” you said. “Just you wait,” he replied.

So, now you’re feeling you waited too long.

That problems other than money will arise

Sooner rather than later. But hey,

That’s the name of the game, right?

Old age waits for all of us to enjoy

Or endure. It all depends on us.

So, here’s to living every day

As if it’s your last. Because you never

Know when Mara, that fearsome demon,

Will come a knock-knock-knocking on your door.

Burnham Holmes

Poultney/NYC