Pulitzer Finalist and National Book Critics Circle Award winner Blake Bailey is joining the faculty of the ODU English department this fall.

Bailey (Photo courtesy of the author)

Along with the cachet of a nationally known name like Bailey–author of  Cheever: A Life–ODU is getting something just as important: an excellent teacher.

I’m in my last semester in the MFA program at ODU. Last Spring Bailey was the writer in residence, meaning he met with students individually over a two-week residency period, to workshop their writing. I met with him twice, and the first meeting was probably the single most useful hour of my writing career. Bailey was honest, direct, and clear with his criticism. He was also empathetic and kind, prerequisites for dealing with young writers who so often focus their nonfiction writing on the tragic chapters of their life.

Bailey said that it was in part his experience with the students and faculty that led him to accept the position.

“I enjoyed my time as ODU’s writer in residence and both students and faculty seem to share my interest in karaoke performance,” he said.

Bailey comes to ODU this fall as an emergency hire, taking over the courses that would have been taught by Michael Blumenthal, who held the Darden Chair of Creative Writing.

“We’re very happy to have him on board because of the luster he adds to the faculty we have,” said Luisa Igloria, director of the creative writing program. “It was very serendipitous for us.”

One of the final three for the Pulitzer.

Bailey had been living in Norfolk not because of his writing, but because of his wife. After she finished her post-doctoral work at the University of Florida, she accepted a position as a psychologist at the naval hospital in Portsmouth.

ODU writing professor Michael Pearson called the hiring “enormous.”

“It does big things for the program,” said Pearson, who has taught at ODU for 22 years, 10 of which as the director of the creative writing program.

“Blake Bailey is already–and will be more so in the future–one of the major biographers on the American scene, and he’s here at ODU,” Pearson said. “That’s big news.”

As for Bailey, he’ll be joining a faculty that includes National Book Award Finalist Janet Peery, Oprah Book Club selection Sheri Reynolds, and the youngest recipient ever of the Whiting Writers’ Award, John McManus. Add in ODU’s celebrated literary festival and–excuse my bias–it is sounding like a program to be reckoned with certainly on a regional level, and possibly also nationally.

“My colleagues at ODU are very nice people, and certainly that’s a community I’m proud to be part of,” Bailey said.

In the fall Bailey will be teaching a lecture course on creative nonfiction for undergrads and graduate students, and in the spring will be leading a graduate workshop.

Could he envision himself long term in Norfolk and at ODU?

“Absolutely.”