Devin Q. Dufour
Devin Q. Dufour (they/them) is currently finishing up their American Studies degree at Vassar College. They are particularly interested in the links between the environmental and the cultural, place-based understandings of social relations, and community construction through storytelling, memory, and narratives. Born in North Carolina to parents from Southern Louisiana, Devin holds a lot of love for the complicated places they call home. They have held a deep-seeded passion and curiousity about the land and ecologies they interact with from a young age, and are thankful that their parents constantly encouraged them to get outside and explore nature. They are also appreciative of their parents’ commitment to family dinners and keeping old family recipes on the kitchen table.
One of Devin’s childhood dreams was to have their own herd of dairy goats. Once they’re done with school, they’ll be working in farm-based education and food justice programs, hopefully returning to the South.
Gratitude | Acknowledgments
Dad, thank you for always being willing to go for a hike. Thank you for always trying to answer my questions, for letting me stop and take pictures of anything weird I see, and for never stifling my curiosity about the world. Thank you for teaching me to love the mountains like a friend. Thank you for planting the fig tree and the redbud tree and the chestnut saplings and the vegetable garden. You make me want to love the earth as much as I love you, and I wouldn’t have grown into the person I am today without your help. I think I learned how to care by watching you tend our family and our yard; now, whenever I complete a DIY project or handy repair, it feels like a way to say “I love you.” You have always been such a patient teacher and parent, and I appreciate how willing you are to wait for me to gather the courage to speak.
Mom, thank you for every delicious meal you’ve ever cooked for me. Thank you for taking me to the Catawba Science Center so much as a child, even when you knew I’d spend the whole ride home begging for a pet snake. Thank you for never making me feel odd for loving bugs, and for the time you caught that praying mantis for me. Thank you for giving me the tools to grow into a better cook. You’ve always had such strong opinions on what I deserve in life, and I’m thankful for how you’ve come to accept that sometimes my visions are different than yours. You were my first world; thank you for taking care of me even better than your aloes and Christmas cacti.
Mimi, thank you for being so insistent that my mom, my brother, and I pursue higher education. I miss you every day and hope you can be proud of all I’ve done from wherever your soul lives now.
GG, thank you for nurturing my love of eating from a young age. Your cheesy grits hold a dear place in my heart, and the recipes you’ve passed down hold a special place in my kitchen.
Prof. McGlennen, thank you for every bit of encouragement, advice, and critique you’ve offered me through this project and the classes I’ve had with you. You have made me feel capable in ways that I’ve never thought possible. Learning from and with you has been a privilege that I will cherish throughout my life. Thank you for introducing me to so many authors, ideas, and possibilities: some of the books I’ve read with you have become my all-time favorites.
Prof. Dunbar, thank you for always saying what I need to hear. I come out of every meeting with you with several answers and mountains of questions that have only made my work stronger. The way you’ve advised me this year has inspired me to work hard and feel proud of the things I’m doing without bloating my ego. You remind me that the work is never fully done in a way that invigorates my desire to bring the things I’m learning into every aspect of my life.
Dr. Sy and Prof. Chin, thank you for reminding me to embrace embodiment, the material, and my personal ties to the work I do in your classes. Thank you for excellent reading lists and class discussions that inspire me to make connections to my life and my work. The things we talk about in class and during office hours have informed and shifted my approach and arguments in ways I can’t easily explain, but am incredibly grateful for. I am inspired by the work you do within the institution and will cherish the knowledge you’ve imparted to me throughout the rest of my life.
Lish, Wayne, Mara, Phillip, Leslie, Roy, Dara, and Anthony, thank you for making my time at Spinning Plates so memorable. You all taught me so much about farming, cooking, and life in general, and the memories I have with you are some of my fondest. The community grounded in resourcefulness, care for each other, and willingness to chat, always, that you all welcomed me into was one that allowed me to reimagine my future outside of the pandemic. There’s nothing I miss more than the peace I felt while prepping pounds of food at the kitchen table and listening to countless stories of your lives on and off the farm. Thank you for feeding me some of the most delicious home-cooked meals I’ve had in my life, for never working me too hard, for never-ending leftovers, and for glasses of freshly-made oat milk because you’re worried about my lactose intolerance.
Murphy, Daisy, Jasmine, Chanti, Remy, Shiloh, and Willow, thank you for letting me bring my love of animals inside. You were some of the first creatures to teach me gentleness, care, and loyalty.
Frita, or the redbud tree: you are the first tree friend I ever made. When I think of the perfect tree, an image of you comes to mind, with your wide, shady canopy and easy-to-climb branches. Thank you for letting me paint a face on you as a child, for holding my weight for so long, and for teaching me how to love a plant.
Elliot, thank you for being there for me through thick and thin. I love you, nerd, and couldn’t have asked for a better “brother”. I can always count on you to go hard with me, whether we’re having grind time, going out, or just dishing out the latest news on the couch.
Nerissa, thank you for always being down for a stroll or a bone hunt. You remind me to get back outside when it’s hard to leave the bed, and your hugs and massages have healing power that I don’t even think you’re aware of.
Jules and Emily, thank you for being such fun-loving, silly housemates. The late-night gossip sessions and balcony hangs are always the perfect break.
Luke, thank you for not giving up on me. You see the worst parts of me and remind me that I can be better than that. You pull me out of my slumps and light the path to a kinder future. Your monkey memes get me through the worst bouts of writing, and your hugs pull me out of my head. You’ve taught me what care and accountability look like better than almost anyone, and you inspire me to chase after healing.
Emmet, thank you for reminding me how fun learning can be, for your endless book recs, and for being a great naked hiking buddy.
Eli, thank you for being one of the most encouraging people I’ve ever met and for always appreciating my cooking.
Anne, thank you for always being ready to cover me when I fall behind or get overwhelmed. You never fail to make me laugh, even on my worst days.
Brynn, Morgan, and KMart; thank you for always bringing a smile to my face and for encouraging my silliest desires. Your words of encouragement have kept me trucking so that I can make time to rest with you all.
Bella, thank you for being such a flexible impromptu work buddy! Thank you for all the little treats you have given me these past few months; they always seem to appear when I need them most.
Jess, thank you for being able to hold so much solemnness and silliness in your body at once. I never know if a call with you is going to make me laugh or cry or both, but they always fill me with love for you. You were one of the first people I ever wanted to cook for and cook with, and you encourage me to do what I need even when it means being physically distant from you. I miss you constantly and patiently await the day you show me your favorite hikes back home.
Cal, thank you for being my accountability buddy, even if we weren’t the most accountable. I’ve missed our little power trips and spontaneous schemes, but I mostly miss getting to sit in the TH garden and vent with you. you hold more righteous anger in your pinky than most people will hold in their lifetimes, and it’s inspiring to see how passionate you can be. I hope that we can both find peace and rest someday soon. One day we’ll have chickens, I swear it.
Naomi, without you this wouldn’t be possible. You hold me accountable to my work and to myself, always reminding me to take the breaks that I need without letting me skip out on work for the entire day. When we talk about our work together, I feel like we expand and re-form in really beautiful ways. Thank you for the endless water cups, for the rides home, for holding me when I cry, for uplifting my accomplishments, for collaging by my side, and for holding all the complex and contradictory parts of me together. Thank you for making me watch Fantastic Fungi, for always having a treat ready for me when I’ve stopped for the day, and for being the best sous chef ever. I’m so grateful that our work brought us together, and I am so excited to see how you’ll flourish once you get out of here. You make me better. I’m so glad to know you.