James B. Hall, renowned writer and beloved professor at Cornell, University of Oregon, UC-Irvine, and UC-Santa Cruz, died February 28, 2008 in Portland, Oregon. Born July 21, 1918 on his family's farm in Midland, Ohio, he fought in World War II during 1941-46, serving in both North Africa and Europe. After his return from the war, Hall married Elizabeth Anne Cushman, his life-long partner. Hall was part of one of the earliest classes of the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop where he received both a masters and a doctorate. His early mentors were Robert Lowell and Richard Yates. Over the course of sixty years, Hall wrote fiction and poetry, creating more than twenty books. According to the Encyclopedia of Short Fiction, Hall had the honor of being "one of America's most anthologized short stories writers." His students and protégés included Ken Kesey, Bill Hotchkiss, and Barry Lopez. Mr. Hall was a past president of AWP (1975-76).