The Literary Pantheon we dedicated last February celebrated the memory of forty-four deceased members of our community whose accomplishments had brought honor to Key West and helped establish it as one of the country’s noteworthy cultural landmarks. The sadness of the months since then has been compounded by the loss of four more extraordinary individuals whose names will be added to the frieze above our bookshelves.
Terrence McNally (1938-2020) has been described as “the bard of American theater” and “one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced.” McNally was a long-time seasonal resident and homeowner in Key West, and was recognized as “part of the theatrical fabric of this community.” Most recently, a new production of his play “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune” was scheduled to open at the Red Barn Theatre on the day of his death, but was cancelled, like him a victim of the novel corona virus.
J. Seward Johnson, Jr. (1930-2020) was a man of huge talent and creativity, known principally for his ultra-realistic bronze sculptures. He wintered for many years in Key West, and was a well-known and popular member of the artistic and literary community. Johnson left his mark in Key West with a number of installations, including the assemblage of figures over the tarmac-side entry to the airport that welcomes passengers to town. Perhaps his most photographed local installation is the figure of Marilyn Monroe in front of the Tropic Cinema.
Robert D. Richardson (1934-2020) was a distinguished historian and biographer, focusing on leading American thinkers of the 19th Century, including William James, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. He was winner of the Bancroft and Francis Parkman Prizes (the most prestigious in the field of history). If you wanted one word to describe Bob, it would be “gentlemen,” in both senses of the word. He was certainly a man — a distinguished leader — but he was a gentle friend to the many in town who knew him.
Alison Lurie (1926-2020) described by the New York Times as a “tart-voiced novelist of manners,” who “wrote about academics and intellectuals, straying spouses, snobs and artists, in novels of close observation and sharp prose.” She was the author of 11 works of domestic and black comedy, including the 1984 Pulitzer Prize winning novel FOREIGN AFFAIRS. Noted for her sly wit and generosity of spirit, she was a vivid member of the Key West literary scene for decades. Perhaps her last public appearance was a store event in February 2020, just before the pandemic closure, where she very charmingly discussed her final book WORDS AND WORLDS, essays on topics from autobiography to zippers.
A 47-page Guide to the Key West Literary Pantheon is available for purchase at the store.
~ George Cooper, store co-founder
Read the Feb. 2020 article about the Pantheon dedication.