In Memory of ~ Aaron Ezis ~ 1967 - 2004
The American Literature website was created by Aaron Ezis in 1997.
He built the site to share his love of literature with people around the world.
Working on the site was a labor of love for him.
He built it page-by-page, adding "A Chapter A Day" to the American Literature Library. Over time he expanded the site with extra features like "The Word of the Day" and then expanded beyond American authors to include great writers from around the world.
Aaron enjoyed interacting with his website visitors and started to create "blog posts" to solicit commentary and feedback from his readers years before blogging was born. He loved to hear that someone had read a book or a story that was previously unknown to them, simply because he had made it easy and convenient for them to do so.
He is remembered fondly by his family and friends.
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh my friends --
It gives a lovely light!
-Edna St. Vincent Millay
The image at left was almost certainly captured in early September 1984 at Eastern Connecticut State College during Aaron's race at the Windham High School Cross Country Invitational (currently known as the Haddad Windham Cross Country Invitational in honor of Coach Robert Haddad). It was his senior year.
I was away at college when that race was run, and I don't have the newspaper story that accompanied the photo, but I know that race well and when I look at the picture I suspect Aaron won his race "going away."