Raymond J. Smith

I have learned, with great sadness, of the death of Raymond J. Smith, who was for more than 30 years editor of Ontario Review, as well as Ontario Review Press; and for more than 45 years beloved husband of Joyce Carol Oates. JCO wrote frequently and lovingly of Ray in her recently published Journal.

Ray’s thoughts, both practical and philosophical, on publishing a literary magazine can be found in “On Editing The Ontario Review.”

In her article “Nighthawk: A Memoir of Lost Time,” JCO recounts her life as a graduate student during the time when she met and married Ray. Mostly about her difficulties with insomnia and the academic culture at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, the article by the end reveals its glowing secret heart to be Ray.

JCO took Ray’s name as the basis of one of her pen names, Rosamond Smith, under which she wrote mystery-thrillers all dealing with twins, doubles, soul-mates.

Chicago Tribune cultural critic Julia Keller on Raymond Smith: “he worked behind the scenes on the magazine, and as Oates’ protector and shield, her sounding board and soul mate. “

Obituary: New York Times

50 Years Ago …

Fifty years ago (1958), Joyce Carol Oates published the short story “Rapport” in Syracuse 10, the undergraduate literary magazine at Syracuse University where she was majoring in English. The year before, JCO had two stories in the magazine’s earlier incarnation, Syracuse Review. These three stories, along with a high-school story from 1956, make up JCO’s first published works.

Greg Johnson’s Invisible Writer notes JCO’s uncertainty about her stories’ dark subject matter and its possibly negative impact on a future career: “‘I am beginning to wonder about the wisdom of a great deal of some really vicious writing of mine which has been published in relationship to the future,’ she wrote, referring to her Syracuse 10 stories. Surprisingly, she considered it ‘quite likely that I will not be doing too much writing anymore.’”

Her reconsideration, and fifty years of hard work, have made JCO “one of the greatest literary forces of our time” (American Poetry Review, Jan/Feb 2008).