[Milton-L] in memoriam

[Jean E. Graham]

For those who haven't seen it, here's the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's March 13 article.  The title, "Duquesne dean was class act," captures what the Milton list has been saying. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_615834.html

My experience has already been described by Jason and others: a sensitive editor who encouraged me as a junior scholar and made my article so much better than anything I can write on my own.  I appreciated the annual email soliciting my works in progress and recent publications, even though I suspect many, if not all, were assured that their contributions were of special interest to Al.  He also served as an outside reviewer when I applied for promotion, and wrote the most glowing letter.  Even though I met him only once, I'm happy that I had the opportunity to thank him in person for that letter.

Jean E. Graham
Associate Professor of English
The College of New Jersey

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jason Kerr" <aelfric at gmail.com>
To: "John Milton Discussion List" <milton-l at lists.richmond.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 9:58:46 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Re: [Milton-L] in memoriam


Although I only interacted with Al briefly, I like so many others can speak to his generosity of spirit. My brief experience seems to have been typical in showing Al kindly reaching out to a neophyte Miltonist. I went to MLA a few years ago as a second-year doctoral student, and after one of the general Milton sessions Al must've seen me looking like a duck out of water, so he took me aside for a few minutes, introduced himself, and asked about my (as-yet-nonexistent) work, which he nevertheless gently encouraged. I recognized his name of course, as the person to whom I had addressed my Milton Society dues, and I wondered then why someone of his stature should care about me. Having read the flood of tributes on this list, I don't wonder any more. May he rest in the same state of beneficence to which he so largely contributed while he lived. 

Jason A. Kerr 
Boston College 


2009/3/18 Schwartz, Louis < lschwart at richmond.edu > 






I’d also like to add my voice in tribute to Al Labriola’s gracious and humane contributions to the profession. Al accepted an early essay of mine to Milton Studies back in the early ‘90’s, and I have never had an essay handled with such sensitive and precise care. His touch as an editor was light, but exacting, and I learned a great deal from both the substance and the manner of his comments. He improved the essay by helping my own prose style realize itself more firmly. That essay will finally be coming out as a book chapter this spring, and while parts have been extensively revised to accommodate new arguments, the core of it—whole stretches—still bear the mark of Al’s editorial hand. They couldn’t be further improved once he had improved them. He was supportive of my career in many ways after that, not just in directly, but perhaps more importantly in the way he helped make our particular corner of the profession a place both rigorous and generous. The work, under his labor grew. 



Louis Schwartz 



=========================== 

Louis Schwartz 

Associate Professor of English 

University of Richmond 

Richmond, VA 23173 

(804) 289-8315 

lschwart at richmond.edu 




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-- 
The purpose of poetry is to remind us 
how difficult it is to remain just one person, 
for our house is open, there are no keys in the doors, 
and invisible guests come in and out at will. 

—Czeslaw Milosz, from "Ars Poetica?" 

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