Skip to Main Content
Boston University
  • Bostonia
  • BU Today
  • The Brink
  • University Publications

    • Bostonia
    • BU Today
    • The Brink
  • School & College Publications

    • The Record
Other Publications
BU Today
  • Sections
News, Opinion, Community

Remembering Saul Bellow

January 11, 2006
  • Beth Berlo
Twitter Facebook

This story was published on BU Today October 26, 2005.

Those who knew Saul Bellow intimately gathered last week to remember the great novelist’s humor, charm, and contributions to literature. Bellow died April 5 at age 89. Colleagues, former students, and friends offered reflections during the memorial, as more than 100 people, including his wife, Janis, filled the School of Management auditorium to pay tribute to the Nobel laureate, widely regarded as one of the most distinguished writers in the history of American letters. Click here to watch video highlights of the event. (Requires RealPlayer® to view.)

One of Bellow’s longtime friends and associates, Keith Botsford, a journalism professor at the College of Communication, admired Bellow’s capacity to share with everyone his mind, his perception and his complex self. “Nothing came out of him unformed,” Botsford recalled. “He was always, always reflective.”

Bellow culminated a lifetime of teaching at universities across the United States and abroad with a decade-long tenure in the University Professors Program at Boston University. “When one reads Saul Bellow’s novels, one realizes what an acute observer Saul Bellow was,” said President Emeritus John Silber, who recruited Bellow in his ongoing effort to improve the quality and reputation of the University. As the third Nobel laureate appointed, his presence was felt immediately, Silber said.

Among Bellow’s most recognized works are Herzog, The Adventures of Augie March, Ravelstein, and Humboldt’s Gift, which won him the Pulitzer Prize. He also won three National Book Awards and the Nobel Prize in Literature.

University Professor Rosanna Warren, BU’s Emma Ann MacLachlan Metcalf Professor of the Humanities, recalled waiting in line at Disney World one day with her children, joking that she “staved off dementia,” by reading The Adventures of Augie March. “I came to believe Saul Bellow would never die,” she said, adding that Bellow’s, “old mischief will survive in his books.”

Christopher Walsh, an assistant professor of English at CAS and former advisee of Bellow’s, remembered some of that mischief. On a spring afternoon as he and Bellow were driving along Commonwealth Avenue, they passed a group of students dressed for summer and appearing without a care in the world, Bellow rolled down his window and yelled, “Death!” Walsh turned to Bellow incredulously asking, “What did you just say? Death?” Bellow replied, “I’m just reminding them,” and threw his head back laughing.

Others remembered his cultural and intellectual perspective, as well as his sense of humor. Ruth Wisse, a Harvard University professor of comparative literature and a friend, remembered how important Bellow’s Jewish heritage was to him as it reappeared throughout his work. She also wondered if Bellow sensed the end was near. Just 11 days before he died, he left a message on her answering machine, saying, “‘There is no more war. It has all ended. No war,’” she recalled.

Many had trouble imagining the world without him. “It’s hard to contemplate there’ll be no more Saul Bellow novels,” said Jonathan Wilson, an English professor at Tufts University. “But we’ll have to be happy with what we have.”

Pieces by Mozart and other classical compositions were performed between tributes as speakers remembered Bellow the friend, the mentor, the writer and the colleague.

Explore Related Topics:

  • Faculty
  • Literature
  • Share this story

Share

Remembering Saul Bellow

Share

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Beth Berlo

    Beth Berlo Profile

Latest from BU Today

  • University News

    Adnan Hyder, Scholar Dedicated to Improving Health Policies for Low- and Medium-Income Nations, Named Dean of Boston University’s School of Public Health

  • Watch Now

    The Stories Behind These Eye-Catching Sculptures at BU and Beyond

  • Student Life

    BU Paris Students Deliver Hospitality Research to the Palace of Versailles

  • University News

    Elise Morgan Named BU College of Engineering Dean

  • Public Health

    Grilled Meats Can Be Carcinogenic. BU Health Researcher’s Tips on Preparing Them More Safely

  • Things-to-do

    See a Concert Under the Stars with the Longwood Symphony Orchestra, Featuring BU Faculty

  • Watch Now

    BU, but Make It Emoji

  • NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY

    How to Celebrate National Ice Cream Day

  • Health & Medicine

    Why Is Everyone So Obsessed with Protein? BU Nutrition Expert Has Some Answers

  • Sports

    BU Table Tennis Player Headed to World Championships in Germany

  • Public Health

    Americans Are Buying More European Sunscreens. Are They Better Than Domestic Ones?

  • Film & TV

    Did You Win Starbucks Gift Cards in Our Superman Trivia Quiz?

  • Social Media

    A Viral Marriage Proposal Raises Privacy Questions in the Social Media Age

  • Things-to-do

    Our List of Outdoor Concerts to Enjoy This Summer

  • Arts & Culture

    This CFA Student Is Using Art to Help Medical Patients

  • Film & TV

    Why Do We Keep Watching Reality Dating Shows?

  • University News

    Boston University Announces Budget Cuts, Layoffs Amid Financial Pressures

  • Social Media

    COM Class Teaches Students How to Promote Their Content Online

  • Things-to-do

    How to Spend the July Fourth Weekend in Boston

  • Things-to-do

    Best Places to Watch Fireworks in Boston This Fourth of July

Section navigation

  • Sections
  • Must Reads
  • Videos
  • Series
  • Close-ups
  • Archives
  • About + Contact
Get Our Email

Explore Our Publications

Bostonia

Boston University’s Alumni Magazine

BU Today

News, Opinion, Community

The Brink

Pioneering Research from Boston University

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Weibo
  • TikTok
© Boston University. All rights reserved. www.bu.edu
© 2025 Trustees of Boston UniversityPrivacy StatementAccessibility
Boston University
Notice of Non-Discrimination: Boston University prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex or gender, age, national origin, ethnicity, shared ancestry and ethnic characteristics, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, military service, marital, parental, veteran status, or any other legally protected status in any and all educational programs or activities operated by Boston University. Retaliation is also prohibited. Please refer questions or concerns about Title IX, discrimination based on any other status protected by law or BU policy, or retaliation to Boston University’s Executive Director of Equal Opportunity/Title IX Coordinator, at titleix@bu.edu or (617) 358-1796. Read Boston University’s full Notice of Nondiscrimination.
Search
Boston University Masterplate
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Remembering Saul Bellow
0
share this