Remembering George Garrett

George Garrett

George Garrett, Professor Emeritus of Creative Writing, died peacefully at his home on May 26, 2008, after a lengthy illness. Mr. Garrett initially taught at the University of Virginia from 1962 to 1967, the first creative writer on the English Department faculty. He returned to U.Va. in 1984 as the Henry Hoyns Professor of Creative Writing, serving as director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing for many years; he retired in 2000. Under his energetic, dedicated guidance, the writing program flourished; his quick wit and unfailing generosity as a mentor, colleague and friend were legendary. A gifted and prolific writer, he wrote thirty-four books in every possible genre, and served as the Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2002 to 2004. He received numerous awards including the Ingersoll Foundation’s T.S. Eliot Award, the Rome Prize of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the PEN/Malamud Award for Short Fiction, and the Cleanth Brooks Medal from the Fellowship of Southern Writer. His most recent novel, Double Vision, was published in 2004. He is survived by his wife of fifty-five years, Susan, three children, two sisters, and two granddaughters. A memorial service is being planned for the fall.