In the Attic

Abstract

Donald Justice died on August 6, 2004. He spent his early life in Miami, Florida, a place he would leave and never, with the passing of time, be able to revisit. The Miami of his youth would slowly disappear, and a new cosmopolitan Miami would take its place, a city in which he could never feel at home. Justice began his college studies at the University of Miami, where he studied with the composer Carl Ruggles. He would later go on to study at various universities, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Stanford University, and the University of Iowa. His first book won the Lamont Prize from the Academy of American Poets (now named the James Laughlin Prize and given for a second book). At the time of publication of his first collection, Justice was already a much admired and much respected poet. He went on to win many awards and prizes for his poetry during his lifetime, including the Bollingen, the Lannan, and the Pulitzer Prize. Holding faculty positions for many years at several universities, primarily the University of Iowa and the University of Florida, Justice was also a man who helped to teach three generations of poets. His students are his second great legacy. And what a remarkably varied group of poets he helped to develop: Mark Strand, Charles Wright, Ellen Bryant Voigt, James Tate, Jorie Graham, Larry Levis, Tess Gallagher, Brenda Hillman, Rita Dove, Eric Pankey, and many more, a significant number of whom went on to win Pulitzer Prizes and other major honors. As is generally recognized, he was the consummate man of letters. Speaking for myself, I can honestly say that I would be neither a poet nor a physician had it not been for Donald Justice. Over the years, he has played many crucial roles in my life: teacher, mentor, and, most importantly, friend. I will miss him very much. In this, I know that I am not alone. The following poems appeared originally in New England Review, beginning in 1978. They appear here in the order in which they were published. C. DALE YOUNG