In Memoriam: Arthur Gelb (1924–2014)

After this issue had gone to press, we were saddened to hear of the passing of Arthur Gelb, one of the giant figures in the study of the life and works of Eugene O’Neill. As pioneering biographers, he and his wife Barbara brought fervor to the pursuit of the full story of O’Neill’s life, interviewing hundreds of sources, traveling to all the key sites, and scrutinizing closely all the published and unpublished documents, always in pursuit of an elusive writer who spent his whole life in pursuit of the same subject. Their 1962 biography and all the subsequent editions and revisions and retellings, in articles and books and, not least, the documentary produced in 2006 by Ric Burns, helped keep O’Neill always present before an American public that is all too prone to forget its cultural past. The name Gelb has probably been cited in the pages of the Review more times than any other than O’Neill, and we look forward to their new book in the coming year. What better memorial could there be than ongoing vitality?

The following is a statement from Jeffery Kennedy:

As the current President of the Eugene O'Neill Society, this loss is great for us because Arthur was a beacon in the cause of continuing and furthering the work of O’Neill, a figure whose story he and Barbara spent so much of their lives laboring tirelessly to tell. In fact, they have even more to tell us yet, with a new and final volume about this great American playwright to be released in the very near future. With his deep knowledge and pure joy of the topic, Arthur helped steer the O’Neill Society at critical times and offered sage wisdom and counsel whenever asked. He and Barbara were recipients of our most coveted award, the O’Neill Medallion, and were given similar awards by the Eugene O’Neill Foundation, whose work includes managing Tao House in Danville, CA, our country’s only national park dedicated to theater, where O’Neill wrote his last and most famous plays. Beyond this, I was privileged to know Arthur as a friend and someone whom he encouraged and mentored not only in my work, but in my life. I shall miss him terribly, but I carry with me so many unique experiences and conversations that will continue to guide me, many that make me laugh in their memory, and will always remind me to be a man who cares about others while still being a man of principle.