Martha Banta and Edward I. Condren

Edward I. Condren

The item below from the Dept. of English was passed to me by Prof. Tobie Higbie. No photo of Prof. Banta could be found. Prof. Condren was one of the founders of the Faculty Assn. at UCLA:

Today I have to write with some sad news that is unrelated to the more general loss that surrounds because of the pandemic. Martha Banta and Edward I. Condren, emeriti of our department, both passed away on 1 April.

Martha Banta, distinguished Americanist and author of  Failure and Success in America: A Literary Debate, Imaging American Women: Idea and Ideals in Cultural History, and One True Theory and the Quest for an American Aesthetic, among many other works, suffered a severe fall earlier this year. She was hospitalized for a while for fractures and cognitive difficulties and then chose care at her home in Pasadena, where she passed away peacefully.

Edward I. Condren, a well-known medievalist, joined UCLA in 1967. His published books include Chaucer and the Energy of Creation: The Design and Organization of the Canterbury Tales, The Numerical Universe of the Gawain-Pearl Poet: Beyond Phi, and Chaucer from Prentice to Poet: The Metaphor of Love in Dream Visions and Troilus and Criseyde. He had not been in good health for a number of years and succumbed to his illness earlier this week.

We will follow up with more detailed notes on their lives and work on our website, but for the moment I simply wanted you to be aware of their passing in case you wanted to reach out to their friends or relatives.

In sadness,

Ursula K. Heise, Chair, Department of English