R.I.P. Vance Bourjaily

Do you remember the author Vance Bourjaily? He was quite well-known for his several novels in the years after World War II, especially for his novel about that war, "The End of My Life" (1947), which critic John W. Aldridge (n his 1951 critical study "After the Lost Generation") called "the most neglected but, in many ways, the most promising of the novels published soon after World War II." But for some reason his reputation didn't really catch fire or endure. He did have a distinguished career as a professor of creative writing, most notably at the revered University of Iowa writing program, where he taught for more than 20 years, influencing many many writers. I read a couple of his novels many years ago, and then more or less forgot about him. But when I opened the paper this morning and saw his name in large letters above his obituary, I immediately remembered reading him, and even remembered thinking that his name was very distinctive and rather dashing. The other surprise was finding that not only had he written for the San Francisco Chronicle at one period in his life, but also he had lived the last eight years of his life in San Rafael, California, just a few miles from where I live. Perhaps I have passed him on the street without realizing it...I lift a virtual glass to toast this writer's memory, and hope that his work will stay in print and be enjoyed by readers for years to come.