Terrence Des Pres: Difference between revisions
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*The Survivor: An Anatomy of Life in the Death Camps. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. [[ISBN]] 0-19-501952-0 |
*The Survivor: An Anatomy of Life in the Death Camps. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. [[ISBN]] 0-19-501952-0 |
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*PRAISES & DISPRAISES Poetry and Politics, the 20th Century. New York: Viking. |
*PRAISES & DISPRAISES Poetry and Politics, the 20th Century. New York: Viking. |
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*Des Pres wrote "Remembering Armenia" to introduce The Armenian Genocide in Perspective. edited by [[Richard G. Hovannisian]] Transaction Publishers: 1986. [[ISBN]] 0887386369 [[ISBN]] 9780887386367 |
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== Sources == |
== Sources == |
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Revision as of 08:44, 14 October 2008
Terrence Des Pres was a Holocaust scholar.
Life
Terrence Des Pres was born in Effingham, Illinois and graduated from Southeast Missouri State College in 1962. He went on to complete graduate degrees in philosophy at Washington University in St. Louis. He spent time with John Nathan at Harvard University as Harvard Junior Fellows, where Des Pres was the society's sommelier and they formed a friendship.
He was married to Judith and had a son, Jean-Paul.
Work
Des Pres is most well known for his work on the Holocaust documented in: The Survivor: An Anatomy of Life in the Death Camps.
He was rejected from Princeton University's philosophy department in 1973. At Colgate University he taught "Literature of the Holocaust" and was the William Henry Crawshaw Chair in Literature. At Colgate, he spent time with writer Frederick Busch.
He wrote Praises and Dispraises, published posthumously in 1988, which dealt with poetry and its usefulness for survival.
Death
According to John Nathan's memoir, Des Pres committed suicide in late 1987. Des Pres' death was ruled "accidental" by the Madison county medical examiners office, Madison, NY. At this time, poet Paul Mariani, spoke at a service for Des Pres at Colgate, where he may have spent time with Des Pres while working on his masters degree.
See also
- List of Harvard Junior Fellows
- Carolyn Forché, who was influenced by Des Pres, and organized the "Genocide and Memory" conference in 1997, where Des Pres was remembered
- Peter Balakian, poet and Colgate professor, also organized the 1997 "Genocide and Memory conference. In addition to their Colgate connection, Balakian is of Armenian descent, and Des Pres' work with survival literature included the Armenian Genocide.
Books authored
- The Survivor: An Anatomy of Life in the Death Camps. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976. ISBN 0-19-501952-0
- PRAISES & DISPRAISES Poetry and Politics, the 20th Century. New York: Viking.
- Des Pres wrote "Remembering Armenia" to introduce The Armenian Genocide in Perspective. edited by Richard G. Hovannisian Transaction Publishers: 1986. ISBN 0887386369 ISBN 9780887386367
Sources
- Obituary
- "Living Carelessly in Tokyo and Elsewhere", John Nathan, New York: Free Press. 2008. pp. 125-126.
- article on Des Pres by Frederick Busch
- Book Review on Des Pres' Praises and Dispraises
- Frederick Busch's obituary
- http://www4.colgate.edu/scene/jan1997/despres.html
- Colgate University Crawshaw Chair
- Jean-Paul Des Pres article mentioning his father
- "Genocide and Memory" conference