Letters Benjamin Demott
In this blog are some letters exchanged between Benjamin DeMott, a writer who also taught at Amherst --was in fact the longtime head of the English Department. The letters span numerous decades. Mr. DeMott wrote numerous books and for publications such as Harpers, Atlantic, and New York Times. Both Mr. DeMott and my mother grew up in Rockville Centre in the 'twenties, attending Hewitt School and Southside High School.
As children, Mom described walking to school with this preternaturally brilliant peer. My mother remembers him as a talented individual not interested in the usual sports and perhaps somewhat ungainly at the time. He played in the band rather than on the more prestigious sports teams. In later years he reappeared at a high school reunion transformed by success and fame.
Mom, incidentally, was cheerleader captain at Southside and as chance would have it, still lives in Rockville Centre, a nonagenarian, aside the home of the Southside cheerleading captain of 33 years later. In that same house, my bedroom window admitted the roaring sounds of motorcycles and cars from DeMott Rd,, which was named for Benjamin DeMott's family. I met him once--and had to lunch with him at his office in Amherst.
The letters reproduced in this blog are of two chatty childhood friends who may never have interacted personally after their paths parted in their twenties. Talk is of mutual friends, illness, and family matters. Their viewing requires a password and are available to those who have a scholarly interest in Ben DeMott.
I have tried to contact Benjamin DeMott's family members prior to posting them, but have been unsuccessful, and if there are any legitimate objections to their presentation here, I would naturally hear them. The posts below also contain handwritten letters from other luminaries including Jonathon Kozol. Additionally are some copies of his articles from the New York Times, They reference another classmate Ricky Cuniff in some letters--later the head of the Sequoia Fund.
For a summary of Dr. DeMott's life, the New York Times obituary is below:
Obituary Benjamin Demott
Damon LaBarbera
Panama City, FL
As children, Mom described walking to school with this preternaturally brilliant peer. My mother remembers him as a talented individual not interested in the usual sports and perhaps somewhat ungainly at the time. He played in the band rather than on the more prestigious sports teams. In later years he reappeared at a high school reunion transformed by success and fame.
Mom, incidentally, was cheerleader captain at Southside and as chance would have it, still lives in Rockville Centre, a nonagenarian, aside the home of the Southside cheerleading captain of 33 years later. In that same house, my bedroom window admitted the roaring sounds of motorcycles and cars from DeMott Rd,, which was named for Benjamin DeMott's family. I met him once--and had to lunch with him at his office in Amherst.
The letters reproduced in this blog are of two chatty childhood friends who may never have interacted personally after their paths parted in their twenties. Talk is of mutual friends, illness, and family matters. Their viewing requires a password and are available to those who have a scholarly interest in Ben DeMott.
I have tried to contact Benjamin DeMott's family members prior to posting them, but have been unsuccessful, and if there are any legitimate objections to their presentation here, I would naturally hear them. The posts below also contain handwritten letters from other luminaries including Jonathon Kozol. Additionally are some copies of his articles from the New York Times, They reference another classmate Ricky Cuniff in some letters--later the head of the Sequoia Fund.
For a summary of Dr. DeMott's life, the New York Times obituary is below:
Obituary Benjamin Demott
Damon LaBarbera
Panama City, FL
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