Photo by Jock Lauterer, courtesy of the Carrboro Citizen
When the news of Doris Betts’ death reached us in late April, we here in the CQ office didn’t have time to fully process the loss, with finals looming and the press deadline for issue 62.1 upon us. In the intervening weeks, we’ve had time to reflect upon her legacy, her importance to the literary world at large, and to The Carolina Quarterly specifically.
Throughout its history, Betts has been a constant presence in the pages of the Quarterly. From book reviews, to interviews, to stories, she has been both the author and subject of much of the writing in our pages. She published numerous short stories with us – the first in 1954 and the last in our inaugural online issue, released in the summer of 2011. In 2002, we even dedicated an entire issue to honoring her work. Generations of CQ editors came to know her as a contributor, professor, and mentor. She will be sorely missed.
Below are samples of some of Betts’ work that has graced our pages over the decades:
- “Birds of a Feather” from issue 6.2 (Winter 1954)
- “August Tree” from issue 8.1 (Fall 1955)
- “The End of Summer” from issue 10.2 (Spring 1958)
- “The Bald Pigeon” from issue 21.1 (Winter 1969)
- “Beasts of the Southern Wild” from issue 25.2 (Spring 1973)
- “The Story of E” from issue 31.3 (Fall 1979)
- “Doris Betts: Making a Difference in Many Lives” an interview with Mark Scandling from issue 32.2 (Spring/Summer 1980)
- “A Conversation with Doris Betts” an interview with Marti Greene from issue 52.2 (Spring 2000)
- “Seeing is Believing” from CQOnline, August 2011
