Long road to Penn for noted journalist

As a young man, Paul Hendrickson studied for seven years to become a Catholic priest. But life would eventually lead him in a different direction, as he has spent the last 30 years in journalism, most recently as a feature writer for The Washington Post. Now Hendrickson, 53, is teaching college students for just the second time in his life, a decision he said resulted from "a need to stretch a new muscle, to try something different." In his first semester as a visiting professor at the University, Hendrickson teaches English 145, "Advanced Creative Non-Fiction Writing." Last year, Hendrickson applied to teach the creative writing programs at several top schools. He specifically informed them, however, that he was interested in teaching English -- not journalism -- because of his own undergraduate and graduate work in literature. Elisa New, the English Department undergraduate chairperson at Penn, invited Hendrickson -- whose wife is a native Philadelphian -- to visit the University. And although Hendrickson considered offers from other schools, he said Penn was the best match for him. "I was impressed with the caliber of Penn students," Hendrickson said, adding that Philadelphia's close proximity to Washington eased his weekly commute from the city. The English Department allowed the 20-year Post veteran to put his own stamp on the class, giving him free reign in its design. This semester, students will examine "beautiful classic models of non-fiction" including works by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Dilliard, in addition to "getting up and running in their own writing," Hendrickson said. The writing in the class will be more journalistic than literary, he added. "The students will be doing fact-based writing," Hendrickson said. "And yet, I want to stimulate their imagination using the techniques of journalism." English Department faculty members said they are excited to have Hendrickson on staff. "He seems to be wonderfully enthusiastic," said Greg Djanikian, who heads the creative writing program. "It's going to be a great boon for us." As he is teaching the course, Hendrickson will continue to write for the Post's Style section. His most recent article took him to Denver to report on the aura of a city which, along with their beloved Broncos, is eagerly awaiting this weekend's trip to the big game in San Diego. Reflecting on his latest assignment, Hendrickson admitted that he still gets the jitters writing a story. "Just because I've got a lot of experience, doesn't mean that I don't get nervous," he said. In addition to his newspaper work, Hendrickson is the author of three books. His latest, 1996's critically acclaimed The Living and the Dead, is an examination of Robert McNamara and his role in the Vietnam War. Hendrickson received his bachelor's and master's degrees in literature from St. Louis University and the Pennsylvania State University, respectively. He taught feature writing at the George Washington University for one semester. "On my best days as a writer, I feel as if I'm doing something priestly," he said. "I feel good if I can make the world just a tiny bit better by something I write."