John Casey, a author of lyrical however stretched prose in novels, essays and quick tales that gained the 1989 Nationwide Ebook Award for Spartina, the historical past of impolite punching, which reviewers known as the very best American story for the maritime life at residence.
His daughters Claire and Julie Casey mentioned the trigger was issues of dementia.
Mr. Casey, who spent most of his literary profession as a professor of inventive writing on the College of Virginia, was finest recognized for his correct efficiency of heroes with blue collars, resembling Dick Pierce, the Rod Island boat within the heart of Spartina, whom the writer identified.
The novel revolves round Pierce’s romantic branches – way back married, he begins an affair and turns into pregnant and his lover – and his struggles to construct a ship. Spartina, sea grass, turns into the unifying metaphor of the guide.
“Solely the Spartins flourished within the salt flood, closed towards the salt, however drank the water,” writes Mr. Casey. “Good grass. If he has ever constructed his huge boat, he can simply name her Spartin, though he has to name her after his spouse. “
The novelist Susan Kenny, writes within the New York Occasions guide, known as the novel “Magnificently considerate, impeccably depicted and utterly absorbing.”
The victory of the nationwide guide of G -C Casey was one thing shock Beating heavy attackers Just like the Pleasure Fortunate Membership by Amy Tan and Billy Batgate by El Physician.
“Thank God, these 5 judges have been within the temper,” he mentioned on the award ceremony. “As a result of that is it, they have been within the temper for my guide.”
Spartina was Mr. Casey’s third guide after the novel American Romance (1977) and a guide of tales, testimony and habits (1979). He additionally writes essays of magazines about his love for all times open air, particularly for operating and rowing.
“John was a charismatic racker who knew one thing about all the things and all the things about some issues, particularly writing,” actor and playwright Eric Bogosian mentioned within the e-mail, an in depth buddy. “I thought of him a mentor.”
John Dudley Casey was born on January 18, 1939 in Warchister, Massachusetts, the place his father Joseph was a lawyer and democratic consultant of america. His mom, Constance (Dudley) Casey, was an activist of the Democratic Celebration.
John has grown primarily in Washington, County Colombia, though he spent a yr in Rosie InstituteInside in Switzerland.
Discovering their dad and mom in public service, he studied Russian historical past and literature at Harvard. After getting out of his junior yr, his father made him be part of the Military Reserve. He returned to Harvard and graduated in 1962, then at his Legislation School in 1965.
Whereas he was on the School of Legislation, he took a writing course with Peter TaylorA novelist and author of quick tales who noticed a promise in his work and inspired him to proceed fiction.
After training regulation for a yr, Caisie determined to observe the recommendation of G -n Taylor. He acquired a scholarship within the Writers Workshop in Iowa and accomplished his grasp’s diploma in 1968.
His classmates included Gail Godwin and John Irving, and he discovered an in depth mentor and buddy in Kurt Vingut, an teacher within the seminar.
Regardless of Mr. Casey’s elite origin, his mates informed him that they might already see the author in him, who would change into.
“I am unable to clarify it, however – even in Iowa – there was one thing from a lonely, fearless sailor for Casey,” writes Mr. Erving in an e-mail.
Earlier than ending, Casey offered two tales to The New Yorker and one other to Sports activities Illustrated.
As a substitute of mountain climbing triumphantly in a literary sizzling place like New York or Cambridge, Massachusetts, he and his spouse, Jane, whom he married in 1967, purchase land on an island within the bay of Naragatset, in Rod Island, the place they stay with out electrical energy or phone service.
Later, he and his spouse divorced. He married Rosamond Pitman in 1982; Additionally they later divorced. He married Robin Frey in 2012. She died in 2015.
Collectively along with his daughters Claire and Julia, from his second marriage, he survived two daughters from his first marriage, Nel and Maud Casey; his sisters, Constance and Caroline Casey; Brother, Joe; And two grandchildren.
Casey moved to the College of Virginia in 1972 on the request of G -N -Taylor, who teaches there and needed to construct his inventive writing program.
He has developed a fame of generosity along with his time and abilities, encouraging even non-students to current writing about him in criticism.
“If one of many neighborhood appeared with Chapter 1, who confirmed some promise, John would learn it,” mentioned novelist Anne Beatty in an interview, who teaches with G -C Casey.
Amongst his early college students was Breece d’J PancakeA promising Western Virginia author. Pankak, who virtually instantly established herself as an rising literary star, revealed a number of tales within the Atlantic, earlier than he died of suicide in 1979.
His loss of life struck Mr. Casey. In 1983 he edited. “BREECE D’A PANCAKE stories“And he wrote after a phrase.
Casey publishes three extra books of fiction after Spartina, a group of his out of doors writing, a guide on the artwork of fiction and two translations of novels, initially written in Italian, which he realized whereas in Rome in communion.
He continued to show in Virginia whereas retiring in 2018, however he went underneath a cloud.
In 2017, a number of former college students filed separate complaints for Title IX towards G -C Casey, accusing him of sexual harassment, inappropriate touching and ideally male college students in his lessons. The college panel really useful that he be fired, however as a substitute he retired.
