Celestial Timepiece

John Ranard

We note the death of social-documentary photographer John Ranard last month, best known to Joyce Carol Oates fans for his work included in her book On Boxing. Quoted in The Villager, a close friend of Ranard’s said, “John was such a gentle, talented and unique human being—a true artist and individualist, with a deep curiosity about life and compassion for people. He will be remembered by so many for his beautiful spirit, as well as for his rich legacy of work.”

JCO spoke of his boxing photos in the Washington Post: “He came out to the house and showed me his pictures … They’re very poetic. They’re the highest kind of journalism, where it passes into art. They’re very unpretentious.”

Mary McCarthy Award

Joyce Carol Oates is the recipient of the 2008 Mary McCarthy Award, given at Bard College in recognition of engagement in the public sphere by an intellectual, artist, or writer. “Previous recipients of the award, which honors the combination of political and cultural commitment exemplified by this fearless, eloquent writer and teacher [McCarthy], include Elizabeth Hardwick, Susan Sontag, Jane Kramer, Janet Malcolm, Frances FitzGerald, Nadine Gordimer, Shirley Hazzard, Annie Proulx, and Joan Didion.”