Robert Bausch, the author of short stories and nine acclaimed novels, and a teacher of creative writing at such institutions as the University of Virginia, American University, George Mason University, and Johns Hopkins University, passed away from multiple myeloma on October 9, 2018. He was 73.

Bausch, who grew up in the Washington, DC area, wrote fiction that was beyond easy classification. His novels and short stories included historical themes, veered between reality and fantasy, and were often tragic and comic simultaneously. His novels included A Hole in the Earth, which Publisher’s Weekly described as “a flawlessly expressed novel,” The Gypsy Man, which O, The Oprah Magazine described as “an experience so intimate that it almost blinds you with love,” and Almighty Me, perhaps his most well-known book, which was adapted into the 2003 film Bruce Almighty starring Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston. His independently published 2011 novel, In the Fall They Come Back, was picked up by Bloomsbury and published in 2017.

In addition to critical acclaim, Bausch’s body of work was awarded the 2009 John Dos Passos Prize for Literature from Longwood University. He also received a statewide award in 2013 as one of Virginia’s exceptional college teachers. Aside from teaching, Bausch also served as the director of the board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation.

Bausch is survived by his twin brother, Richard Bausch, who is also a novelist. The brothers and fellow novelists shared an office, for a stint, while they were both teaching at George Mason.

Photo Credit: Greg Lipscomb