Henry Lewis Van Dyke Jr.

Forgot to add my name, I'm the one whose playing chess in the picture above-Arthur Diovanni

The one person in the world who I owe my entire life to, wish I knew about his memorial. Henry was an inspirational source for all those people whose souls he touch-if Robert frost grabbed life by its throat when he wrote poetry, then Henry Van Dyke grabbed life by its soul when he wrote short stories and fiction. He taught me to believe in the characters of an authorship, for they would stand up and show us who they are!! I would never had been a teacher myself if this Henry hadn't graced me...

With grace, wit, and astute observations, Henry Van Dyke nurtured me as a creative writing student during my student days at Kent State (1986-1990). I will always appreciate his kindness and guidance on my Senior Honors Thesis Project, a short novel. My condolences to the friends and family of HVD (as he often etched at the end of my story drafts).

An extraordinary life! Though coming from out of town, Henry Van Dyke was the consummate sophisticated New Yorker whose little black book reads like a cultural who's who -- Patricia Neal, Bobby Short, Leontyne Price, Gore Vidal, etc. Watch out for his memoirs that he left in a near-completed state.