We are profoundly sad to announce the death of our colleague Robert "Bob" Bagg, and we send our sincere condolences to his family.
Professor Bagg earned his undergraduate degree at Amherst College where he studied with the poet James Merrill. After some time abroad in France, he went on to earn his PhD from the University of Connecticut with a dissertation about autobiographical poetry. He worked for two years at the University of Washington before coming to UMass Amherst in 1965. During his time in UMass Amhert's English Department, Professor Bagg was professor of writing, world literature, romantic poetry, Victorian poetry, and modern poetry. He also served as graduate director and English department chair before leaving in 1997.
Professor Bagg wrote and published six books of poetry throughout this career and held Guggenheim, Ingram Merrill, Rockefeller (Bellagio Residency), NEA, and NEH fellowships. His collection Madonna of the Cello (1961) was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Professor Bagg also focused on translating Greek plays, which have been staged in 74 productions on four continents. Let Us Watch Richard Wilbur: A Biographical Study was published in 2017 and co-authored with his wife, Mary Bagg. One of his most recent translations, Four by Euripides: Medea, Bakkhai, Hippolytos & Cyclops, was published in November of 2019 by the University of Massachusetts Press.
To learn more about Professor Farrell's life, read his obituary.