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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Robin O. Metz, who passed away on
4November 27, 2018 at the age of 76; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Robin Metz was born on January 4, 1942; in 1960,
6he graduated from Baldwin High School in Pennsylvania, where he
7lettered in football, baseball, and wrestling; he was later
8awarded a football scholarship to Princeton University, where
9he earned a bachelor's degree in English in 1964; he went on to
10the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, where he earned a
11master's degree in fine arts in 1967; and
 
12    WHEREAS, At the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Robin Metz studied
13with novelist Philip Roth, his first writing mentor; acclaimed
14novelist Kurt Vonnegut also greatly influenced his
15distinguished career; after leaving the workshop, he began
16teaching at Knox College in Galesburg in 1967, where he
17remained for 51 years; never having retired, he earned the
18distinction of longest-serving member of the Knox faculty; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Robin Metz was an internationally-recognized poet
20and author; he was a co-founder and director of Knox's renowned
21Program in Creative Writing, where he served as director from
221985 onward; he held the Philip Sidney Post Professorship of

 

 

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1English, teaching all levels of writing at Knox, from
2introductory courses in fiction, poetry, and playwriting, to
3Senior Portfolio, the capstone experience for all writing
4majors, as well as literature courses, including Modern
5English/Irish Literature and Contemporary American Fiction; as
6of last year, he was developing new courses, including Poetry
7for the Clouds and Environmental Literature, Film, and Art; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Robin Metz was known for his focus on the creative
9process, for developing and mentoring student authors, for
10leading students across the pond at Knox for coursework in
11London Arts Alive, and for teaching writing about the natural
12imagination in a renovated horse barn 20 miles from campus at
13Knox's Green Oaks Biological Field Station; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Robin Metz married Elizabeth Carlin, a fellow
15instructor at Knox, the chair of the Knox Theater Department,
16and the Smith V. Brand Distinguished Professor of Theatre, in
171995; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Robin Metz and Liz Carlin Metz lived in Galesburg
19and at Buck Creek Farm in Ferryville, Wisconsin, which included
20a renovated 1850 farmhouse; they opened the farm, situated a
21quarter mile from the Mississippi River, to students as a
22retreat during Knox Farm term; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Robin Metz had a tremendous appreciation for
2nature, particularly at his Ferryville farm, where he planted
325,000 trees and learned about bird song, wild flowers, and
4trees; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The poems, short stories, and other works of
6fiction by Robin Metz were published countless times; he
7presented his work internationally in 24 nations and
8approximately 80 American cities; in 2018, three of his poems
9were published in The American Writers Review; he also
10presented a reading of his poetry as the featured reader at The
11Yale University Club in Manhattan and will be represented in a
12forthcoming book derived from a year of the Yale Poets reading
13series; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Robin Metz received many awards, including the
15Ranier Maria Rilke International Poetry Prize for his book of
16poetry, Unbidden Angel, the Dylan Thomas Poetry Prize, the
17Marshall Frankel American Fiction Prize, the Caterpillar
18Faculty Achievement Award for outstanding creative and
19scholarly achievement, and Knox's Philip Green Wright Prize for
20distinguished teaching for both junior and senior faculty; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Together, Robin Metz and Liz Carlin Metz founded
22Vitalist Theatre, a critically-acclaimed and award-winning
23Chicago-based theatre company; Robin also served as the faculty

 

 

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1advisor to Catch, Knox's award-winning literary and arts
2journal; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Robin Metz had begun the practice of bringing to
4Knox poets, fiction writers, playwrights, screenwriters,
5essayists, and scholars to share their work and impress upon
6students the wonders of the spoken and written word; he and Liz
7established the Robin Metz Fund for the Creative Arts to honor
8his more than half-century legacy to Knox's English Department
9and to continue this interaction between artists and the Knox
10community in perpetuity; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Robin Metz was an admired mentor, influential
12teacher, and dear friend to many of his former students with
13whom he maintained endearing friendships, including Senator
14Don Harmon, English writing major, Knox College Class of 1988;
15and
 
16    WHEREAS, Robin Metz is survived by his wife, Liz Carlin
17Metz; his daughters, Lisa Metz and Ronnah Metz; and his
18grandsons, Griffin Belzer, Ben Belzer, Duncan Metz Beard, and
19Ambrose Metz Beard; therefore, be it
 
20    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
21ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
22Robin O. Metz and extend our sincere condolences to his family,

 

 

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1friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
3presented to the family of Robin Metz and to Knox College as an
4expression of our deepest sympathy.