On the passing of John Lovas

Reflection. As did many others, I received the sad news this morning that John Lovas, recent chair of CCCC, passed away June 21, 2005. He was 65. It was cancer. Only within the past month had John learned his diagnosis, and he wanted no wide stir made of the news. For the hundreds of us who knew him personally, it's scarcely comprehensible that this tall, energetic man, his white shock of hair beaconing his gregarious personality, could have fallen so swiftly. He was a champion of two year colleges and, more importantly, their students--and writers everywhere. He worked for the right of students to express even unpopular ideas, part of his larger concerns for free expression in a democratic society, especially one that would patriotically limit individual freedoms. His chair's address, in Chicago, in 2002, was a deft weaving of autobiography, image, and idea, demonstrating both pride in his personal past and visions of a multimedia-ed future for composition. As newly-elected assistant chair, I benefited from his caring and wisdom.

His colleagues at DeAnza college are building a festschrift in John's honor. Written tributes are welcome at http://faculty.deanza.edu/johnlovasfestschrift/ and the site contains instructions for posting.

Yours very truly,

Doug Hesse