I hope the Times corrects its online headline soon (it reads “John Update” as of 2:20 CST), but John Updike is dead. I never read his novels (though of course I own several), but his short stories were fit to break your heart, and he was a fair and erudite critic. Above all, he was a man of letters.
when i saw it on aldaily, i wondered if you had beat me to the punch…and you did.
his rabbit tetralogy is stellar. but, true, some of his short stories will make even a stone weep.
by jeremy—Jan 27, 02:54 PM
I went on a tour of the Widener Library’s special collections in college, to which Updike was leaving his papers. The librarian told a story about how JU would show up about every six months and announce he had a box of papers. Then he would go and not show up again… until he had filled another box.
by greg—Jan 27, 03:23 PM
I heard him do a reading a few years back and got the obligatory autographed rabbit novel, though I’ve yet to read it. He read a funny little poem about traveling by plane that I need to find. I still have fond memories of reading “A&P” for Dr. Long.
by shaun—Jan 28, 08:07 AM
it very well could be in the collection facing nature… the air travel poem is ‘East Hampton-Boston by Air’‘
by jeremy—Jan 28, 02:39 PM
John Updike has certainly affected the world with his conventional wisdom — I see little quotes of his everywhere
by coffee—Jan 30, 02:54 PM