2009 Farewells

The literary community lost a great number of friends this year. A few of them are listed below, in order of the date of death. I'm sure I've missed some, so please feel free to add them in comments, or email me and I'll update the post.

- Bell, Whitfield, Jr., d. 2 January. Author, historian, Benjamin Franklin scholar, head of the American Philosophical Society. Philadelphia Inquirer Obit.

- Fairfax, John, d. 14 January. Poet. Guardian Obit.

- Mortimer, Sir John, d. 16 January. Novelist, screen-writer, creator of Rumpole of the Bailey. NYTimes Obit.

- Updike, John. d. 27 January. Novelist, critic. NYTimes Obit.

- Ravenberg, Ron, d. 31 January. Collector of James Cook, founder of Aldus Society. Columbus Dispatch Obit.

- Dalrymple, Helen W., d. 13 February. Library of Congress researcher, spokeswoman. Washington Post Obit.

- Upward, Edward., d. 13 February. British novelist and short story writer. Times Obit. Believed to be the UK's oldest living author at the time of his death.

- Knopf, Alfred A., Jr., d. 14 February. Publisher. NYTimes Obit. A fellow Union alum.

- Salih, Tayeb, d. 17 February. Prominent Sudanese novelist. Guardian Obit.

- Nolan, Christopher, d. 20 February. Irish writer, winner of the Whitbread Price. Independent Obit.

- Cole, Tom, d. 23 February. Writer of movies, plays, short stories, and a novella. Boston Globe Obit.

- Farmer, Philip José, d. 25 February. Author of science-fiction/fantasy novels and short stories. NYTimes Obit.

- Purdy, James Otis, d. 13 March. Novelist. NYTimes Obit.

- Mayhall, Jane, d. 17 March. Poet. NYTimes Obit.

- Cox, Michael, d. 31 March. Publisher, novelist. Times Obit.

- Wynne, Marjorie, d. 4 April. Yale rare book librarian, founder of RBMS.

- Krug, Judith, d. 11 April. Librarian, ALA official, founder of Banned Books Week. NYTimes Obit.

- Ballard, J. G., d. 19 April. Novelist. Boston Globe Obit.

- Volkmann, Daniel G., d. 27 April. Book collector. San Francisco Chronicle Obit.

- Marcus, David., d. 9 May. Literary editor. Guardian Obit.

- Donald, David Herbert, d. 17 May. Historian, biographer. Boston Globe Obit.

- Elon, Amos, d. 25 May. Israeli essayist, author. NYTimes Obit.

- Eddings, David, d. 2 June. Fantasy author. Guardian Obit.

- Norse, Harold, d. 8 June. Beat poet. NYTimes Obit.

- Weller, Sam, d. 24 June. Salt Lake City bookseller. Salt Lake City Tribune Obit.

- McCourt, Frank, d. 17 July. Irish-American writer. NYTimes Obit.

- Dunne, Dominick, d. 26 August. Author and journalist. NYTimes Obit.

- Meltzer, Milton, d. 19 September. Historian and author of children's non-fiction. NYTimes Obit.

- Peterson, Merrill, d. 23 September. Historian, Jefferson scholar. Charlottesville Daily Progress Obit.

- Safire, William, d. 27 September. Speechwriter, language maven. NYTimes Obit.

- Mazer, Norma Fox, d. 17 October. Young adult novelist. NYTimes Obit.

- Gore, Marian L., d. 11 October. Antiquarian bookseller. LATimes Obit.

- Coleman, Earl M., d 12 October. Publisher, poet. NYTimes Obit.

- Snyder, Nathan, d. 25 October. University of Texas librarian, collector of Judaica. American-Statesman Obit.

- Taylor, Robert, d. 25 October. Boston Globe book critic. Globe Obit.

- Hunt, Waldo, d. 6 November. Pop-up book publisher. Washington Post Obit.

- Nokes, David, d. 19 November. English professor, Samuel Johnson biographer. Guardian Obit.

- Xianyi, Yang, d. 23 November. Translator of Chinese classics into English. Independent Obit.

- Otto, Calvin P., d. 23 November. Book and ephemera collector, founder of the American Ephemera Society.

- Trusky, Thomas, d. 1 December. Professor, book artist, founder of the Idaho Center for the Book. Idaho Statesman Obit.

- Lederer, William J., d. 5 December. Novelist. NYTimes Obit.

- Polite, Carlene Hatcher, d. 7 December. Novelist, creative writer professor. NYTimes Obit.

- Rota, Anthony, d. 13 December. Bookseller, ABA/ILAB official. Independent Obit.

- Gach, John P., d 20 December. Rare bookseller, bibliophile. Baltimore Sun Obit.

- Levine, David, d. 29 December. NYRB caricaturist. AP Obit.