In Memoriam: Rick Hillis

DePauw Mourns the Passing of a Beloved Creative Writing Professor

Rick Hillis, associate professor of English at DePauw University, died unexpectedly in Texas on Wednesday, October 8, 2014, while on sabbatical.  He was 58 years old.

Rick, born February 3, 1956, in Saskatchewan, earned his B.Ed. from the University of Saskatchewan and his M.F.A. at the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Before coming to DePauw, he taught creative writing at Stanford, U.C. Hayward, Lewis & Clark College, The University of Iowa Summer Writers’ Program, Saskatchewan School of the Arts, and Reed College, where he was Writer-in-Residence.

Rick’s fiction, poetry, and non-fiction have appeared in over two dozen journals and anthologies. His books include The Blue Machines of Night (poetry), which was a finalist for the Gerald Lampert Award for first book by a Canadian and the short story collection Limbo River (fiction), which was awarded the Drue Heinz Literature Prize and the Silver medal from the Commonwealth Club of California. He had screenplays optioned, and his fiction, poetry, and non-fiction appeared in over two dozen journals and anthologies and was read on CBC radio. Rick also received the Stegner Fellowship in fiction writing from Stanford, the Chesterfield Film Writers Fellowship from Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment in L.A., and had residencies at writers’ colonies including Yaddo, the Banff Center for the Arts, Millay, U-Cross, and St. Peter’s Abbey. Additionally, he was recognized by Arts grants from the Canada Council and the Saskatchewan Arts Board. In 2002, he was awarded a green card and status as an Alien of Extraordinary Ability in the Arts.

Professor Hillis joined the DePauw faculty in 2002 and taught courses in fiction writing, screenwriting, poetry, and songwriting. 

The department is deeply saddened by his passing and will dearly miss his devotion to students and his advocacy for creative writing at DePauw.

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