Ruth Doty
Des Moines

Ruth Doty, whose dedication to the beauty and mystery of the written word inspired all who knew her, died at home Monday evening. She was 71. Over the course of her writing career, which brought her to Des Moines in 1972 when she joined the English faculty of Drake University, Ruth counted among her friends some of the most important figures in contemporary American letters, among them George Garrett, Michael Benedikt, Peter Wild, Richard Shelton, and James Dickey. She was the recipient of a Pushcart Prize and two Borestone Prizes, and her work appeared in many widely respected literary journals, including Nimrod, Ironwood, and The Chicago Review. For many years, Ruth edited a local literary magazine, Blue Buildings, and maintained close relationships with students long after they left her classroom.

Everyone who loved Ruth knew her as a free spirit, a woman whose sense of the world was unique and consistently vibrant. She loved the world of art, and delighted in beautiful things, from the art covering her walls, to her beloved collection of fine china and antique furniture. Ruth knew every detail of setting a fine table, and took great pride in entertaining. She liked oysters at lunchtime, and made a fierce bouillabaisse. She loved pulling open a drawer of silverware, and carefully explaining the use of each exotic item: strawberry forks and ice cream spoons, sugar sifters, crumbers, egg scissors. It was just one of the ways she taught us. Ruth was a passionate reader. Her library filled all the free spaces of her home, sometimes piling up under tables and alongside the chairs. She read poetry, drama, philosophy, art history, criticism, and vast amounts of background material on the subjects and ideas that wove their way through her own work, most notably dance, music, history, and psychology. She was an expert on the Ballet-Russe, and its premier danseur, Vaslav Nijinski. Her desire to understand the workings of the creative mind led her to explore the link between mental illness and genius, most recently in a book length poem on the life of William Schumann.

Ruth was a woman who gave her love easily and freely to those who came to her with love in their hearts. She was a dear friend and confidant, a sounding board, a sage, a giver of wisdom. She welcomed new friends to her home like she'd known them for years, and took great joy in small things: simple gatherings, a short visit, going to lunch. Even in very difficult times, Ruth's dignity was undiminished, and that, maybe more than anything about her, inspired those of us who loved her to face our own lives with new vigor.

A memorial service will be held for Ruth on Wednesday, December 1 at Hoyt Sherman Place, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Ruth wanted a simple memorial, so instead of flowers, please make a donation in her name to the Animal Rescue League or the World Wildlife Fund. Please come and share your memories of Ruth, or a favorite poem you know she'd like. We'll talk about the good times we shared with her, memories of when she read from Rimbaud or Vallejo, or just talked about the rain in her captivating Louisiana English.