John Updike RIP

I was saddened to learn of the death this week of one of America's greatest contemporary writers, John Updike.  Indeed it can be argued that he captured mid and late 20th century America better than anyone.  Our paths crossed a couple of times overseas--twice in Czechoslovakia in the mid 1980s (from which the autographed photo at left originates) and again later in that decade in Finland. During the Czech visits John Updike was able to advance Czech-American cultural relations in a variety of ways both official and not so official--more about this in a future post perhaps--and in Finland our meeting was rather serendipitous as he was on a promotion tour for a new book.  I regret that I only had a limited time to get to know this gifted writer and observer of humanity.  He used every bit of that observational skill in blending with his great imagination to create vivid depictions of very real yet fictional characters. Among the several things we had in common was his PA Dutch Country roots. Updike grew up in Shillington just outside Reading, PA while my childhood was spent in Lancaster County just a few miles to the south. He was besides being a remarkable writer, a genuine and warm human being with great strengths of humanity and compassion and a single-minded dedication to his art.  He was also a fun and interesting companion on our travels around Czechoslovakia under the communists and in Finland's capital city.  He will be missed.