English is Expansive: An Interview with Bijou Executive Director Courtney Bergmeier
English alumna Courtney Bergmeier (ʼ10) sits down with Meghan Pinkston (Class of 2027) to discuss how her time at UT taught her the skills she needed to build her career in entertainment and, eventually, become the Executive Director of the Bijou Theater.
Meghan Pinkston: Why did you choose to major in English?
Courtney Bergmeier: English was not my first choice. I began my time at UT as a nursing major because, at 18, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. Nursing felt concrete and safe. But once I started the coursework, I quickly realized I was not a science person, nor did I particularly enjoy blood or overhead fluorescent lighting. It became clear I needed to pivot. Even then, I still didn’t know exactly what career I wanted or how I would ultimately make a living. But I did know that language and writing had always been strengths. I decided to let my strengths guide me and trust that a meaningful and sustainable path would follow. English felt expansive. It opened doors to education, law school, publishing, and countless other fields. Within the department, I chose to concentrate in Rhetoric. I loved argument and analysis. As the daughter of a corporate litigator, I thought law school might be in my future, but I didn’t want to lock myself into a pre-law track. Rhetoric allowed me to study persuasion, theory, and human communication in a way that felt both ancient and incredibly relevant. In hindsight, it was one of the best decisions I could have made.
MP: What skills did you gain as an English major that have helped you in your professional life?
CB: As an English major, I was exposed to poetry, literature, history, and theory. I especially loved history, but rhetoric classes were my favorite. Rhetoric taught me how to think. It trained me to analyze an audience, construct an argument, anticipate counterarguments, and communicate clearly and persuasively. Learning how to form, communicate, and defend an idea is a skill that applies to nearly every aspect of life. Studying Aristotle, the Sophists, and classical theory made me realize that persuasion is not manipulation. It is understanding human nature and meeting people where they are. That skill has been foundational to my professional life. Whether negotiating a contract, writing a grant, leading a board, or fundraising, I am constantly crafting and communicating a case for something I believe in. Rhetoric is ancient, but it is also incredibly modern. It shows up everywhere, from high-level negotiations to everyday conversations.
MP: How did a degree in English prepare you to lead as Executive Director of the Bijou Theatre?
CB: My path to becoming Executive Director began at AC Entertainment, where I worked as a talent buyer. In that role, I negotiated with agents to book artists for venues and festivals, including the Bijou. Talent buying is, at its core, rhetorical. You evaluate the venue, the community, ticket price tolerance, marketing capacity, expenses, and audience demand. You evaluate the artist’s draw, resources, and trajectory. Then you synthesize all of that into a financial offer that makes sense for everyone involved. You are constantly persuading. You are persuading an agent that your venue is the right room. You are persuading an audience that the show is worth attending. You are persuading internal stakeholders that the risk is worthwhile. As my career evolved into managing personnel, patrons, and fundraising, that rhetorical training became even more essential. Fundraising is persuasion rooted in values. You are asking someone to invest their time, trust, and resources into something meaningful. Grant writing is even more distilled. Your only tool is written language, often to someone who has never met you or stepped inside your organization. Constructing a compelling, honest, and audience-specific case for support is rhetoric in its purest form. My English degree did not just prepare me to lead the Bijou. It equipped me with the thinking framework I use every single day.
MP: How did your career path take you from graduation to Executive Director? Is this the career you envisioned?
CB: When I chose to major in English, I did not envision leading a historic performing arts center. But I did envision a life built around ideas, culture, and communication. While at UT, I worked as a barista at the Knoxville Visitors Center on Gay Street. That job was pivotal. The Visitors Center is also home to WDVX Radio, where they host a live daily show called the Blue Plate Special. I met touring musicians in that intimate setting and became friends with the radio staff. I volunteered to help at festivals and concerts because I could not afford tickets but wanted to be part of the community. Through those relationships, I met people at AC Entertainment. Shortly after graduating, I took a small entry-level role running errands out of a supply closet. I worked my way up to talent buyer, and eventually my path led to the Bijou in a leadership role.
MP: Are there any courses or professors that are particularly memorable to you?
CB: Absolutely. I took both of Thomas J. Heffernan’s History of the English Language courses and found them fascinating. He was a gem of a professor and made the evolution of language feel alive. My favorite rhetoric professor was named Jen, though I regret that I cannot recall her last name. She was deeply encouraging and allowed me to explore rhetoric through topics I was passionate about, including music and outdoor recreation. For my final project, I studied the rhetoric of national parks, focusing on the Smokies, and created an art installation in the form of an altar displayed on campus. That project expanded my understanding of how rhetoric shapes identity, place, and reverence. My freshman-year English 102 professor also had a profound impact on me. She focused her course on Appalachian literature and art and introduced me to Ron Rash, Lee Smith, James Still, Wendell Berry, and Shelby Lee Adams. For the first time, I saw the beauty of Appalachia behind the grit. That class reshaped how I viewed this region and deepened my appreciation for its culture and heritage. She is a major reason I switched to English.
MP: Your work leading the Bijou Theater is integral to preserving Knoxville’s culture and historic legacy. How did your time at UT influence your love for Knoxville art and culture?
CB: Through Appalachian literature, music, and art, I began to understand that culture is not ornamental. It is foundational. It creates identity and belonging. Music, literature, and art create place. They give a community its texture and soul. My time at UT helped me see Knoxville not just as a city, but as a cultural ecosystem with a rich and layered story. That perspective deeply informs my work at the Bijou. The theatre has served generations of Knoxvillians. It is more than a building. It is a gathering place, a memory keeper, and a stage for cultural expression. To attend a show at the Bijou is, in many ways, to participate in what makes Knoxville uniquely itself.
MP: What advice would you give to students currently pursuing an English degree?
CB: Follow your curiosity and lean into your strengths. Bring your life outside the classroom into your coursework, and bring what you learn back out into the world. Get involved in the community. Relationships matter just as much as grades. While at UT, I built relationships that shaped my entire career. Working at the Visitors Center allowed me to welcome people to Knoxville’s treasures like Ijams and Seven Islands. It is where I fell in love with this city. It is where I met musicians, radio hosts, promoters, and future colleagues. Say yes to opportunities. Volunteer. Show up. Be a well-rounded human being. Your English degree is not narrow. It is expansive. It teaches you how to think, how to communicate, and how to understand people. Those skills will serve you in any field. My adult life and career could truly be written as a love letter to this scruffy little town and to the University that brought me here and shaped me into the leader I am today.
Courtney Bergmeier (‘10) is the Executive Director of the Bijou Theatre, Knoxville’s historic performing arts venue located on Gay Street. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a degree in English and a concentration in Rhetoric, Courtney began her career in live music at AC Entertainment, where she worked as a talent buyer booking artists and negotiating contracts for venues and festivals across the Southeast.
Since joining the Bijou in 2015, Courtney has led the organization through significant programming growth, expanded community partnerships, and major preservation planning efforts to ensure the theatre’s vitality for future generations. Under her leadership, the Bijou presents more than 160 public events annually and serves over 90,000 patrons each year.
A passionate advocate for Knoxville’s arts and culture community, Courtney believes deeply in the power of live performance to create connection, identity, and a sense of place.
Meghan Pinkston (Class of 2027) is a Knoxville native pursuing a BA in English at the University of Tennessee with plans to attend law school after graduating. She works as a consultant in the Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center and enjoys getting to share her love for reading and writing with other students. When she is not in the library, you can find her going to concerts, scuba diving, and writing.
