Phyllis Gebauer, who made significant Thomas Pynchon donation, has died

Phyllis Gebauer, the longtime friend of reclusive author Thomas Pynchon who recently made a significant gift of signed first editions of his books to the UCLA Extension Writers Program, has died.

In an email, Writers Program director Linda Venis announced that Gebauer, who was in her 80s, died June 15 at City of Hope. Venis praised the former creative writing instructor:

During the past two decades, Phyllis taught over 60 novel writing courses, and in recent years, memoir writing -- after she published, at the age of 80, Hot Widow, which Thomas Pynchon described as “rollicking and heartbreaking evidence that little black dresses aren’t just for graveside anymore.”  The recipient of the UCLA Extension Instructor Award in Creative Writing in 1992, Phyllis garnered the highest levels of praise every time she taught. Students loved her incisiveness, gift for making the complex accessible, and of course, her wicked sense of humor. When ill health forced Phyllis to cancel her “fictional approach to creating memoirs” class this past spring, it was fully enrolled with a waiting list.

Although friends knew that she was battling cancer, Gebauer did not seem ill during the event celebrating her donation of signed, first-edition books by Thomas Pynchon. In fact, she appeared lively, engaged, and far younger than her eight decades as she answered questions about her famous and publicity averse -- not reclusive, she said, just private -- friend. That was just six weeks ago.

Gebauer and her husband became friends with Pynchon when they all lived in Seattle. That was before "Tom," as she called him, was a published author; Pynchon's first book, "V," came out in 1963. Although Gebauer and her husband moved around -- he was a can't-talk-about-it aerospace engineer -- their paths intersected with Pynchon's in Texas and then in Southern California, where the friends spent much time together.

The above photo, taken in 1965, is from the Southern California period: a pig piñata they named Claude, Thomas Pynchon standing behind the door, flashing a peace sign, and Phyllis Gebauer, having a ball.

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Photo: Phyllis Gebauer, with Claude the pig piñata and Thomas Pynchon waving a peace sign from behind the door, in Southern California in 1965. Credit: UCLA Extension Creative Writing Program

 

Comments

[Martina Young]

I am very grateful for having had the great privilege of being one of Phyllis Gebauer's students at UCLA Extension and at the Santa Barbara Writers' Conference. She was always spontaneous, creative and insightful. No two classes were the same and her advice to writers was always constructive. I am very sad to hear that she is no longer with us. I have fond memories of her inspiring classes and gifted students. Phyllis Gebauer will be missed.

[Paul Steinbroner]

Phyllis was an amazing person, generous and generative and until the end she was demonstrating her empathy towards the staff at the City of Hope meant to care for her. This year was tough on her because her cancer came back and she had to give up many things she loved- swimming, going to Church, and most of all writing and teaching. By the time the recent party happened at UCLA she had to put her game face on. Only a few of us knew she was sick but this was a literary event not a wake , so she gave it her all. Giving her signed editions of the Pynchon books and asking others to giving to the Writers Extension program at UCLA were examples of how she felt about that which is bigger than self.
The past few weeks for Phyllis had been rough being unable to sit at her desk and write or teach was more painful than the thought of death. She was missing her husband Fred so that made death a welcome relief.
i'll see you later Chica- peace and love
Pabilito