English professor Weiss dies of Parkinsons

Emeritus English and creative writing professor and acclaimed literary figure Theodore Weiss died at his home in Princeton last week at 86. Weiss's death comes after a struggle with Parkinson's disease.

Renowned in the literary world, Weiss was editor and publisher of the highly praised Quarterly Review of Literature for almost 60 years. The publication, which focused on poetry, included criticisms and works by various authors. According to a University press release, the QRL is often credited for calling attention to the careers of many poets and bringing many out of obscurity.

Weiss was also a prolific writer, producing literary critiques and more than a dozen volumes of poetry. His work in poetry includes "The Catch" (1951), "Gunsight" (1962), "From Princeton One Autumn Afternoon: The Collected Poems of Theodore Weiss 1950-1986" (1987) and "Selected Poems" (1995). Weiss's poems also reached the pages of anthologies and literary review publications. In addition, Weiss created books of literary criticism including "The Breath of Clowns and Kings: Shakespeare's Early Comedies and Histories" (1971) and a collection of essays, "The Man From Porlock, Selected Essays" (1982).

His career, most notable during the 1950s and 1960s, was highlighted by numerous awards and distinctions. Among his many achievements, he received first prize in the Wallace Stevens Awards in 1956, the Brandeis Creative Arts Award in Poetry in 1977, the Poetry Society of America's Shelley Memorial Award for 1988-89, the 1997 PEN/Nora Magid Lifetime Achievement Award and a Guggenheim fellowship.

His prominence in the literary world made him the focus of two award-winning documentaries, "Living Poetry: A Year in the Life of a Poem" and the sequel, "Living Poetry 2: Yes, With Lemon."

Before his professorship at Princeton, Weiss was a visiting professor at various institutions, includig the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the New School of Social Research in New York City. He was also an instructor at the University of Maryland, the University of North Carolina, Yale University and Bard College.

In 1966, he became a poet-in-residence at Princeton and was appointed as a professor of English and creative writing in 1968. Weiss was named the William and Anne S. Paton Foundation Professor of Ancient and Modern Literature in 1977 and finally retired in 1987.

Weiss was born Dec. 16, 1916 in Reading, Pa. His educational background includes a B.A. from Muhlenberg College in 1938 and a M.A. from Columbia University in 1940.