Editor’s note: Professor Richard Bailey, Michigan Today’s “Talking About Words” columnist and a longtime and beloved teacher of English, passed away on April 2. We will miss him; his wit, curiosity, and intelligence were mainstays not just of this publication, but of U-M and Ann Arbor. He wrote this final column not long before his death.
People like books of last words. Last words either have a feeling of aptness—such as Beethoven’s famous raging at the heavens in a thunderstorm before he died—or have a kind of comic twist that we presume is fabricated, such as W. C. Fields’ proclamation that he would rather be in Philadelphia.
Consequently, I don’t think you can trust the details of supposed last words.
This is just as well, since the reality of actual last words is often not pretty or symmetrical. Most last words are dealt in times of agony or are expressions of surprise, since most people are not given the chance to compose with any care their own last words.
Of course, people can produce last words if some planning is enabled by deliberation. Too tidy is often a fake. Too chaotic is often authentic but not interesting.
Last words are often final: and that’s all they need to be.
Share your memories of Professor Bailey in the comments section.
Elizabeth Palazzola - 2007, expected 2012
I am sorry to hear of Professor Bailey’s passing. His column was one I looked for and was always sure to read in the Michigan Today e-mails. Because of him, I was just thinking the other day about another Michigan(?) grammatical convention: the pronunciation of numbers like thirty, eighty, and ninety as “thirdy,” “aid-dee,” and “ninedy.” I wanted to send him a pitch to write about this, I would have enjoyed his musings on the matter. My condolences to his friends and family. Sincerely, Elizabeth
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Shannon Racine
I did not know Professor Bailey but in each issue of Michigan Today I sought out his column and looked forward to his wit and wisdom. I am saddened by the news of his death and although appreciative of the words that he has shared, I am sorry that he has written his last.
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Ethel Larsen - 1972
I’m saddened to learn of Professor Bailey’s death. As a fellow lexiphile, his column was a favorite of mine.
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Jonathan Schroeder - 1984
I too, mourn the loss of Professor Bailey. I witnessed a side of him that not many students did. I worked as lifeguard at the old IM building pool. One of the most entertaining shifts was for the Flounders, a water polo team that he played on in the old IM building pool. Prof. Bailey was a fierce and aggressive player, with a great enthusiasm for the game, which matched his deep love for language.
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Melba Joyce Boyd - 1979
I met Prof. Bailey in 1976, when I became a student in the Doctor of Arts Program in the Department of English at Michigan. As the Director and one of the creators of this interdisciplinary approach to the study of literature and language, his vision and appreciation of diversity and creativity provided an academic context that inspired intellectual leadership. Moreover, even after I graduated, he kept tabs on my career and my published works. He will be sorely missed as a premier teacher and wordsmith.
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Valerie Canter - 1987 (BA), 2006 (MA)
Professor Bailey was my grammar professor when I returned to U-M four years ago after a successful career in law. While I knew I would learn new things during the process of pursuing a masters degree in education, and reinventing myself as a high school English teacher, what I learned from Professor Bailey about language and learning was critical to who I became as a teacher. Professor Bailey made me realize that the question is often more valuable and far more interesting than the answer. He was also a model of the joy that can be found in those questions, and in the richness of everyday things that make us human, like language.
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Ellen Sapper - 1975
Dr. Bailey taught me transformational grammar in the early 1970’s. He transformed our understanding of grammar with witty examples that kept us amused. He required that we all learn the grammar of Black English Vernacular (as it was called at the time) and our exam contained an essay that had to be written according to those standards. He inspired generations of English majors with his profound understanding of how language makes meaning.
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Bill Dickens
After his discourse on Taxonomies and synonyms I wrote to him about a Taxonomy that I created for the Architecture/Engineering/Construction process and to my surprise he called me and we had a wonderful conversation and he said that mine made perfect sense. Of course I was thrilled and this news saddens me because it is always a delight talking with someone rife with distinctions that were never presented before. Sad day for the University and for this wonderful publication of John Lofy.
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W.A.P. John - 1974
“You’re LATE!” boomed across the IM Pool…those words from Flounder Richard Bailey would come to me almost every Monday / Wednesday / Friday for the last 25 years as a group of Professors, Regents and local misfits would meet to play a rather aggressive version of water polo. Richard was our leader, a man of eloquent words, who wouldn’t hesitate to give you a flying headlock or a short lesson on 18th century East London slang. Behind the professorial gruffness was a kind and gentle soul, a loving father and husband, and a wily competitor. Most readers of this column only knew the Clark Kent side of Richard Bailey…We miss him.
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Sandy Balkema - 1979 and 1984
I, too, am saddened by the death of Dr Bailey. He was an amazing (often intimidating) man –and an incredible role model. I learned from him as a grad student (Engl MA and Eng/Ed PhD) and will continue to learn from his writings. As I talk about him and his work in my classes, I can only hope that my students gain a bit of his wisdom and insights. I am proud that I was able to study with him and cherish those wonderful (and often painful!) memories from A2. I hope that UM will publish all of his Talking About Words columns in one volume!
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Wendy Wallace - 1967
He was a fine scholar who cared for his students and guided us scholastically as well as personally. May God comfort his family in this great loss.
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John Jablonski - 1969
I took two classes from Professor Bailey, including his legendary grammar class. As an undergraduate I was a less-than-conscientious student, so one October afternoon in 1968 he called me into his office and “firmly” set my academic attitude straight. My only regret is that he had not done so earlier. Some thirty years later I sent him a thank-you note and sent him an article that I had written. He responded promptly and noted that he had already submitted the article for publication. Professor Bailey took the time to help out a former mediocre student, and I know that I would not be a teacher today if it had not been for him. I will never forget Dick Bailey.
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Donna Duffield - 1984
If this is the prof who taught linguistics, I LOVED him and the class! It was one of my favorite classes at Michigan! He will be missed!
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Cindy Franklin
I was sad to hear that he passed away! Though I was never a student of his, and never met the man, I took great joy in his columns. As much as I like getting the Michigan Today, it’s just not going to be the same without him. My sympathies to all those who knew him.
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Tamara Koss - 1976; 1988
I love words and languages. I very much enjoyed Prof Bailey’s “Talking About Words” articles and read the column first when the Michigan Today arrived. I shared many of his columns with friends and family. I am very sad to learn of his passing and his words will be greatly missed.
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Annette Lyttle - 1988
I did not have a class with Professor Bailey while studying for my master’s in English. I only knew him through his column, which made me wish I had known him in person. My sympathy to his family, friends, and students.
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Molly Buchsieb - 2000
I think of Professor Bailey often as I read the NY Times, which he advised us to read every day to always stay connected to the world. I remember being slightly awestruck by his knowledge about Linguistics – a subject I never knew could be so fascinating or so important to understanding our culture and history. His passion and love for language, and his sharp sense of humor, made him one of my all-time favorite professors at UM, and I am so thankful that I had a chance to learn from such a dedicated teacher.
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G. M. Freeman - 1950
Though I did not obviously have him as a Prof I did wend email to him about something in his column. And he replied! Not everyone would take the time and I appreciated that.
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Sharon Selby - 1970, 1981
Mr. Bailey and I met in his English Composition class on the first day of fall semester 1965 on the fourth floor of Angell Hall. It was his first day of teaching at Michigan, and my first day as a freshman. I was an ‘older’ student, just a year younger than Mr. Bailey. I will never forget his wry sense of humor, his obvious joy in teaching and his insistence on our producing the best writing we could. Thank you, Mr. Bailey!
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Judy Dooley
My mother died of cancer in January 1987. She was heavily sedated with pain meds at the end, and waited for the last of her six children to arrive by bus from out of state. When he finally arrived, the UM nurse gently shook her awake, and said, “Look, Maribel, all your kids are here.” She opened her eyes and looked around the room at each of us. Joyfully she proclaimed, “And I’m here too!” She passed on peacefully not long after.
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Connolly Jenkins - 2006
Bailey seemed to have more wisdom than most. Would you possibly share more about this assignment and Bailey? As an English & psychology teacher, I would very much appreciate it.
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