We are profoundly sad to announce the death of our colleague Kirby Farrell, and we send our sincere condolences to his family.
Professor Farrell began teaching at UMass in the 1970s and taught English for 45 years, both at UMass and abroad at Regensburg and Freiberg Universities in Germany. His specialties were creative writing, Shakespeare, and The Victorians, but he also taught film and storytelling classes. Professor Farrell also lectured for the Ernest Becker Foundation on radical existential criticism, the psychology of violence, and social justice.
Professor Farrell served as an editor of English Literary Renaissance and the European journal Kritikon Litterarum. He was also a regular contributor to Psychology Today online. Additionally, he authored several novels, including a detective series, as well as books of serious socio-psychological analysis.
His family are planning a celebration of life for April 21 at the New City Brewery in Easthampton, 3-7 p.m. To learn more about Professor Farrell's life, read his obituary.