In Memory of Philip F. Deaver: Author and Poet, Mentor and Friend

This post is in honor of Philip F. Deaver, award-winning author and poet, professor of English at Rollins College, and tireless writing mentor to me and hundreds of other writers. Phil passed away a few days ago. If you are local, please join us this Tuesday, May 8, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. in Knowles Chapel at Rollins College for a service to honor Phil.

Hoyt, my husband, and I send our sincere condolences to his family members and friends at this tender time of grieving.

Background about Phil

For details about Phil’s spectacular work and teaching career, please visit:

Bio of Philip F. Deaver

Phil Deaver at Rollins Winter With the Writers

My writing mentor, Philip Deaver

More than twenty years ago, I took a class on short story writing taught by Phil Deaver in the Rollins Lifelong Learning program. That was before he joined the Rollins English Department faculty. What impressed me then was Phil’s undivided attention showered on each student’s work. He was tireless, present, and mindful of a thousand details at once.  His good humor made instruction palatable. I was a new Rollins grad (1994) with an English degree trying to keep my creative life going. Whenever I felt defeated with the story I was working on, Phil made a point of encouraging me to keep working. It was an inordinately long story, and eventually became my book-length memoir, Undertow. Phil’s best piece of advice for it: “Drop the melodrama. Just write it straight.”

First Friday writing workshops

In later years, when Phil conducted First Friday workshops in the Woolson House at Rollins for students, alumni like me, and writers from the community, he poured out his heart every time. It didn’t matter how many people showed up, he’d give everyone a fair listen and offer wise counsel. He shared his own work with us, too, welcoming us into his own writing life. He brought in his journal once to show as an example of keeping the pen moving. I remember he had drawn a sketch of his jogging route in it—for years he was a runner. That journal was a goldmine of bits and pieces of details that eventually made it into his stories and poems.

Phil’s masterful writing, dedication to his art, and determination to deal with publishers and submit his work over and over to see it get out there in print, was an important example to all of us.

Poetry reading, March 24, 2000

One of the highlights of my writing life came when Dr. Lezlie Laws, Professor of English at Rollins with whom I’d taken undergrad classes on writing about literature and autobiographical writing, invited me to read my poetry at Rollins alumni weekend. There, in the Galloway Room, Phil smiled proudly from his seat in the front as I read. He had helped me hone those poems. He had offered suggestions to tighten the lines, bring my work to life. He had nurtured my confidence as a writer.

By the way, in the audience that night were many friends, including Dr. Hoyt Edge. We’d had a couple of dates by then. Two years later, we married.

Phil, a champion of Undertow

Over time, Phil and I occasionally offered feedback on each other’s work. That was an honor. While I worked on drafts of Undertow, Phil offered helpful comments when he could. On more than one occasion, he’d joined us for dinner in our home. He generously provided a promotional “blurb” to help the book move along its path into the world. He always believed I could write. For that, I am deeply grateful.

It’s a sad day but one he would want me to use as motivation to keep writing. That’s what he’d want those of us he influenced to do. Keep the pen moving. Tell it straight.

Peace

Share this…

email

Facebook

Linkedin

Twitter

Print