Wikipedia

Blake Bailey

Blake Bailey[1](born July 1, 1963) is an American writer, and educator. Bailey is known for hisliterary biographiesofRichard Yates,John Cheever,Charles Jackson,andPhilip Roth.He is the editor of theLibrary of Americaomnibus editions of Cheever's stories and novels. Bailey’s came under fire and his biography of Roth was pulled following multiple allegations and witness accounts of rape. Those who shared their stories included multiple former grade school students.

Blake Bailey
January 2011
January 2011
Born(1963-07-01)July 1, 1963(age 61)
OccupationBiographer
NationalityAmerican
EducationTulane University

Background

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Bailey grew up inOklahoma Cityand attended high school atBishop McGuinness Catholic High School,where he was friends with another future author,Dan Fagin.[2]He was a student atTulane University,from which he graduated in 1985.

Bailey and his family lost their house and most of their possessions inHurricane Katrina,an experience he wrote about in a series of articles forSlate.[3]

In 2009–2010, Bailey was Writer in Residence atThe College of William and Maryin Virginia.[4]From 2010 to 2016, he was the Mina Hohenberg Darden Professor of Creative Writing atOld Dominion Universityin Norfolk, Virginia.[5]He was succeeded byBlack ElkauthorJoe Jackson.[5]Bailey is a tennis enthusiast.[6]

Career

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After college, Bailey wrote occasional freelance pieces. He taught gifted eighth-graders atLusher Middle Schoolin New Orleans in the 1990s.[7]

After publishing a long critical profile ofRichard Yates,Bailey was contracted to write a full-length biography of the novelist,A Tragic Honesty: The Life and Work of Richard Yates(2003).

In 2005, Bailey was awarded aGuggenheim Fellowshipto work on his biography,Cheever: A Life,which won the 2009National Book Critics Circle Awardamong other honors. Bailey also edited a two-volume edition of Cheever's work for theLibrary of America.

Bailey published his biography of the novelistCharles Jackson,Farther & Wilder: The Lost Weekends and Literary Dreams of Charles Jackson(2013), as well as a memoir,The Splendid Things We Planned: A Family Portrait(2014).

In an interview withThe New York Timespublished on November 17, 2012,Philip Rothsaid that Bailey was his official biographer and at work on that project.[8]While Roth was alive, he gave Bailey exclusive access to papers, friends and family, and made himself available for extensive interviews.[9][10]Bailey's 880-page biography of Roth, entitledPhilip Roth: The Biography,was published in the United States by W. W. Norton & Company on April 6, 2021,[11]and in the United Kingdom by Jonathan Cape on April 8, 2021.

Bailey’s primary influence isLytton Strachey,who he has praised for his style and sense of humor.[12]Other influences on Bailey’s work includeVladimir Nabokov,Evelyn Waugh,andPG Wodehouse.[13]

Sexual misconduct allegations

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On April 16, 2021, several former students of Bailey's left comments on a critical review of Bailey's Roth biography, alleging that Bailey had groomed them when they were minors.[14]On April 18, 2021, Bailey was dropped by his agency, the Story Factory, following these allegations of sexual misconduct, which Bailey denied.[15]On April 20, 2021, journalists Ramon Antonio Vargas and Edward Champion first reported on these allegations in detail.[16][17]Bailey was accused ofgroominghis former students at Lusher Middle School for sex.[18]One former student, Eve Crawford Peyton, has accused Bailey of raping her when she was 22 years old.[19]On April 27, 2021, he was also accused of "nonconsensual sex" by Valentina Rice, a publishing executive.[20]

On June 10, 2021, in an article published in the Virginian-Pilot, four women at Old Dominion University, where Bailey had previously worked, accused Bailey of sexual assault and harassment. One of the women accused Bailey of “grabbing her crotch in a hot tub, forcibly trying to kiss her on campus, (and) threatening to rape her,” only stopping after she pulled a knife out and held it against his throat, the newspaper reported. Another account in the Virginian-Pilot's report concerned a female author who visited Old Dominion and recounted how Bailey had forcibly kissed her. Two graduate students also described Bailey getting "handsy" and making unwanted advances, as well as making sexually explicit comments to them.[21][22]

In a statement provided to theAssociated Presson April 21 by W. W. Norton & Company, the publisher announced it had "decided to pause the shipping and promotion ofPhilip Roth: The Biographypending any further information that may emerge. "[23]On April 28, W. W. Norton announced that it is taking the book out of print.[24]Three weeks later, in May 2021,Skyhorse Publishingannounced that it would release a paperback, ebook, and audiobook versions of the biography.[25]

Awards and honors

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Bibliography

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  • Sixties.New York: Bdd Promotional Book Co. 1992.ISBN978-0-792-45764-0.OCLC1077746456.
  • A Tragic Honesty: The Life and Work of Richard Yates.New York:Picador.2003.ISBN978-0-312-28721-4.OCLC51040212.
  • Cheever: A Life.New York:Alfred A. Knopf.2009.ISBN978-1-4000-4394-1.OCLC232980275.
  • Farther & Wilder: The Lost Weekends and Literary Dreams of Charles Jackson.New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 2013.ISBN978-0-307-27358-1.OCLC796761402.
  • The Splendid Things We Planned: A Family Portrait.New York:W. W. Norton & Company.2014.ISBN978-0-393-23957-7.OCLC866251891.
  • Philip Roth: The Biography.New York: W. W. Norton & Company. 2021.ISBN978-0-393-24072-6.OCLC1155082654.
  • Repellent: Philip Roth, #MeToo, and Me.New York:Skyhorse Publishing.2023.ISBN978-1-510-77332-5.OCLC1330896710.

As editor:

  • John Cheever: Collected Stories & Other Writings(Library of America, 2009)
  • John Cheever: Complete Novels(Library of America, 2009)
  • The Sunnier Side and Other Stories,by Charles Jackson (Vintage/Random House, 2013)

References

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  1. ^"Blake Bailey Interview - Identity Theory".January 10, 2005.
  2. ^Ken, Raymond (April 20, 2014)."Oklahoma City native Dan Fagin wins Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction".The Oklahoman.RetrievedApril 20,2014.
  3. ^Bailey, Blake (September 2, 2005)."My Year of Hurricanes".Slate.
  4. ^"Past Writers in Residence".wm.edu.RetrievedApril 23,2021.
  5. ^ab"Author Blake Bailey to Depart Hohenberg Darden Chair in Creative Writing".odu.edu.March 17, 2016.RetrievedMarch 23,2021.
  6. ^Garner, Dwight (July 27, 2007)."Stray Questions for: Blake Bailey".The New York Times.
  7. ^Vargas, Ramon Antonio (April 20, 2021)."Ex-Lusher teacher Blake Bailey accused of abusing ex-students' trust for sex; denies illegal conduct".The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate.RetrievedApril 24,2021.
  8. ^McGrath, Charles (November 17, 2012)."Goodbye, Frustration: Pen Put Aside, Roth Talks".The New York Times.
  9. ^Bonanos, Christopher (May 29, 2018)."Philip Roth's Biographer Has a Hair-raising Claire Bloom Story to Share".Vulture.RetrievedJuly 2,2018.
  10. ^"Blake Bailey Online – Bio".blakebaileyonline.RetrievedJuly 2,2018.
  11. ^Italie, Hillel (July 30, 2020)."Blake Bailey's 880-page Philip Roth bio to arrive in April".Associated Press.RetrievedJuly 30,2020.
  12. ^Bailey, Blake (March 15, 2013)."5 Writing Tips from Blake Bailey".Publishers Weekly.RetrievedJanuary 2,2023.
  13. ^Muscolino, Joe (March 19, 2013)."Behind the Books with Blake Bailey, Author of Farther and Wilder".Signature.Archived fromthe originalon May 10, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 2,2023.
  14. ^Champion, Edward (April 16, 2021)."Blake Bailey, Casual Misogynist and Eager Rube".Reluctant Habits.RetrievedApril 16,2021.
  15. ^D'Zurilla, Christie (April 20, 2021)."Philip Roth biographer Blake Bailey dropped by agent over 'grooming' allegations".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedApril 21,2021.
  16. ^Vargas, Ramon Antonio (April 20, 2021)."Author Blake Bailey accused of abusing ex-Lusher students' trust for sex; denies illegal conduct".The New Orleans Advocate.RetrievedApril 21,2021.
  17. ^Champion, Edward (April 20, 2021)."The Dark Manipulative Life of Blake Bailey".Reluctant Habits.RetrievedApril 20,2021.
  18. ^Traister, Rebecca (April 30, 2021)."Life As a Man".The Cut.RetrievedMay 2,2021.
  19. ^abPeyton, Eve Crawford (April 29, 2021)."He Told Me He'd" Wanted Me Since the Day We Met. "When We Met, I Was 12".Slate Magazine.RetrievedApril 30,2021.
  20. ^Alter, Alexandra; Abrams, Rachel (April 21, 2021)."Sexual Assault Allegations Against Biographer Halt Shipping of His Roth Book".The New York Times.RetrievedApril 27,2021.
  21. ^Harki, Gary (June 10, 2021)."Blake Bailey was an ODU star. Faculty and students say he abused and harassed women for years".Virginian-Pilot.RetrievedJune 10,2021.
  22. ^Vargas, Ramon Antonio (June 10, 2021)."Blake Bailey, author and disgraced ex-Lusher teacher, accused of more sex misconduct in Virginia".The New Orleans Advocate.RetrievedJune 10,2021.
  23. ^Italie, Hillel (April 21, 2021)."Publisher pauses release of new Philip Roth biography".Associated Press.RetrievedApril 21,2021.
  24. ^"Publisher cancels Philip Roth biography after sexual abuse claims against Blake Bailey".The Guardian.April 28, 2021.RetrievedApril 28,2021.
  25. ^"Philip Roth Biography Finds a New Publisher",The New York Times,May 17, 2021[1]
  26. ^Latus, Janine (November 2011)."Precisely, A world-class literary biographer".Distinction.Archived fromthe originalon May 6, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 15,2012.
  27. ^"National Book Critics Circle Announces Finalists for Publishing Year 2014".National Book Critics Circle.January 19, 2015. Archived fromthe originalon January 22, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 29,2015.
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