Memories of Keith Denning by his students, colleagues, and friends
Remembrance of Keith (Daniel Seely's remarks at the memorial service)
I first really met Keith in a restaurant at his job interview
dinner about 9 years ago. I was struck, awed, and a bit intimidated
by the breadth and depth of his knowledge. In the course of that
dinner we discussed:
- The unique chemical components of the juice of oysters
- The value of bunting on a 2 and 1 count
- How great a movie The Producers is
We ratiocinated about whether Australopithecus afarensis is the best
classification for Johanson's great paleoanthropological find "Lucy," and
whether sand is a good emetic. Talked about too were:
- Computers (DOS vs MAC debate; Keith a MAC man all the way)
- The political situation in the Sudan
- Geography
- The nature of humankind
- Calvin and Hobbs
- Rabbits
And, of course, we discussed linguistics; lots and lots and lots of
linguistics.
Well, needless to say, I couldn't keep up with him during dinner; and
I was reduced eventually to nodding my head, and saying "yes, yes" or
"that is certainly true." One thing about Keith that we all recognized,
admired, and benefited from was his extraordinary intellect. He knew
more, and could talk more, about more topics than anyone I have ever
known.
He was hired immediately!
Keith came in and started building on the program. We offer
about 25 different courses in linguistics and Keith (almost
single-handedly) proposed, worked out, had accepted, taught, and built up,
about 5 of them (that is over and above all the preexisting courses that
he taught!). Now, when I say "proposed," I mean that Keith worked through
from scratch all the scholarly and administrative detail required to get a
course from your head to the books; and any of you who have ever just
tried to change the number of or prerequisite for a class knows how hard
that can be. To do it four or five times over is amazing.
It is the diversity of Keith's courses that is even more
remarkable. African American English, English words, Language and
Culture, Introduction to Linguistics, the History of English, the
History of Linguistics, Historical Linguistics, and Sociolinguistics; and
that's not even in his specialty area, Typology and Universals. But
actually, to say he had a specialty is to miss a great point, I think. He
was a true generalist, a linguist in the time-honored sense; he was very
proud of that tradition and he carried it on with passion.
That Professor Denning introduced and taught so many different
classes demonstrates his vast knowledge but also attests to his
commitment to the program and to his students. It demonstrates his
willingness to serve those students, and all of those around him.
Along the way in those early years was some fun, too. I mean,
these were the "Preston years," and some of you understand what that
means! There was a lot to be done, and it got done. But afterward,
we ate well, we drank pretty well, and we watched the superbowl
(although that was not Keith's favorite way to relax). And we turned the
music up too loud and then yelled back and forth about whose theories were
crazier than whose. I think my only real regret during the time (and this
is shared by students and other faculty too I'm sure) is that try as hard
as we could we never did get Keith to dance.
Keith was a builder. With his part of the program in place, the
scholar settled in to continue his work. Three influential books were
produced:
- The co-edited work: The Selected Writings of Joseph Greenberg.
- The co-edited volume: Studies in Typology and Diachrony: Papers Presented To Joseph H. Greenberg On His Seventy-Fifth Birthday.
- And a co-authored text book for his English Words class, English Vocabulary Elements.
All of these were well-reviewed successes. There were also his papers and
presentations, book reviews, and refereeing for NSF, conferences, and
journals. Dr. Denning was a formidable scholar.
He also made important contributions to the larger linguistics
community. He knew everyone and talked with everyone, advising on
many linguistics projects--both local and national. (I don't know how many
times I've been to some conference and said I was from EMU and hearing
"Oh, that's where Keith Denning is, right?") After serving on the
executive board of the Michigan Linguistics Society, we was elected
president of that organization and brought the annual meeting to EMU, and
with great success. And he certainly worked toward and supported the
creation and continued health of a number of linguistic institutes,
journals, and information distribution organizations. He was one who
cared deeply about the integrity of his field. He was a respected
colleague.
But more than anything the teacher worked for and with his
students. Many of you here now were challenged by Keith in your
undergraduate classes. You had ideas that you may not have had
otherwise. You worked hard on analyses and on papers; and you can
take pride in what you were able to accomplish. He may have sponsored you
in the Undergraduate Symposium. Perhaps he was your advisor for an Honors
Thesis. Many of you graduate students worked with him on the
comprehensive exam or had him as your director or reader on an M.A.
thesis; and his were invariable excellent.
Keith helped our students get jobs related to their training. He
helped them get into Ph.D. programs. He always had time for career
advising; for reading statements of purpose; for preparation for the GRE.
He was a personal advisor and confidant. A person to go to voice a
complaint or to get help with a difficult life experience. He was
incredibly generous with his time, with his computer, and with his
expertise. Keith was a teacher.
Like a full day, Keith was a mixture of light and dark. He was a
giving scholar, colleague, teacher, and friend. He is a permanent part of
this program. And when you feel sad missing him, I ask you now to do
something: Remember the first time you walked into his house and saw the
rabbit; remember how he stuck his tongue out the side of his mouth or
chewed his gum a little faster when he was happy and excited; remember how
patient he was when he helped you figure out how your computer worked.
But remember most of all the positive influence he had on you. We carry
with us certain ideas, emotions, and world views because of Keith. So
mourn the loss; miss him. But always celebrate the life!
Daniel Seely
Keith and I overlapped in the doctoral program in linguistics at
Stanford. Keith was a few years ahead of me in the program, but
seemed many years ahead of me in the breadth of his knowledge and the
depth of his understanding. He was very gregarious and down-to-earth --
two qualities which I really appreciated. He was always supportive and
encouraging of others' research interests. I will always remember Keith
as a helpful colleague and a good friend. May he rest in peace.
Michael V. Inman
San Francisco, California
Prof.
Denning (he always told us to call him Keith in class, but I knew him
for 4 years as Prof. Denning and old habits are hard to break) was the
first professor to actually get me excited about a subject. When I
learned I had to take a linguistics class, I was really down on it.
It just seemed so boring, but Prof. Denning changed all that for me.
He taught with such conviction and joy about his subject, you couldn't
help but to like it. I eventually took a few more linguistics, making
sure he taught each and everyone. I find it only fitting that I was
in his final class. Prof. Denning was the closest person to a mentor
I will ever have. He always had his door open to all. I made it a
point to stop in and talk to him at least once a semester, usually
more. He always had a smile. He was easy to learn from because he
was so open and respected everyone and took them all seriously. He
was very giving to his students with help, advice, and a book here and
there, and he was full of encouragement. I really appreciated that
about him. He was the main reason I stayed in English and went for my
Masters. I am truly sorry he won't be able to touch other students'
lives the way he has touched mine. I am glad I got to know him as
well as I did. He wasn't just a professor, he was also a friend. I
will truly miss him and won't be able to walk through Eastern without
a thought of him coming to me.
A Student and Friend,
Christie Simonson-Bloomfield
Still clearly remember Prof. Denning's voice, whiskers, laughter. These
were all just what I saw before I left for Taiwan in July. An idea has
been always in my mind that I'll go back to Michigan and visit him again.
But there's no chance for me now.
I remember I was nervous as talking to him for the first time due to his
tall big figure, but he responded with a smile in Chinese, I was surprised
and felt warm. To me, he's special. It's not because he knew Chinese
but because of the way he spoke, the way he thought, and the way he saw
the world, academically and personally. It's a kind of mixed uniqueness.
So many unforgettable memories of Prof. Denning are still vivid in my
mind. His voice is still echoing in my mind, "Bye bye, Anita!" as we
walked out of Pray-Harrold after class. However, this time I missed the
chance to say "Good bye, Prof. Denning."
It's sad to think of this event but I think he's still, somewhere,
watching those who miss him, and here I wish Mrs. Denning well.
Anita Huei-Ching Huang
in New York City
One evening before Sociolinguistics class had begun, we were more or less
assembled and waiting for Keith to arrive. He walked in right at seven,
wearing his slate-gray pants and slightly-less-slate-gray button-down
shirt. He put his books down on the table and turned to face us, arms
outstretched at his sides, trying to frown but smirking.
"Do I really look like a janitor today?" The giggling started.
"All day I have been mistaken for a janitor. People have asked me
the strangest questions." The giggling continued. He looked himself up
and down. "I didn't think I did so bad this morning." He didn't move,
except to thrust his hands out, indicating he really wanted an answer.
"Uhm, well, yeah Keith, pretty much, yeah."
Finally he let out that laugh of his, fully freeing ours from behind our
hands.
I will remember Keith Denning for his sense of humor and the humility he
displayed in making people laugh at his own expense. I will also remember
his big-hearted warmth, approachability, intelligence, and the
encouragement he gave me not only as a student of linguistics but in
regard to other aspects of my life. It is an honor and a pleasure to have
known him.
Kathryn Morgan
English/Written Communications '93, '99
Athens, Georgia
On one of those Friday mornings late in the semester when it
seems that everyone has done everything that can be done that week
and the energy level on campus could surely not get any lower, I
found myself on an elevator headed to the sixth floor of
Pray-Harrold. I was writing a paper about an important event in
the history of linguistics for Dr. Arrington, who had suggested
that I might talk to someone in linguistics for another perspective. I
had taken the English Words course with Dr. Denning, so I knew him a bit
and was glad to find him in his office. Keith invited me in and offered
me a seat, even though I could tell that he was every bit as exhausted as
I was. Of course, he was the perfect person to go to with my question
and acted as if he had been waiting for it all morning. The next thing I
knew he was writing on the board, pointing out books on his shelf, and
giving me my own personal lecture on linguistics for nearly an hour.
Now I don't remember how well Keith answered the question I
had walked into his office with that day, but I do remember that I
walked out of his office with a lot better idea of what linguistics
is and how interesting it can be. More importantly though, I
walked out of Keith's office with a better idea of who I wanted to
be -- someone as excited about his profession as this man was
about his. That I have chosen to go into the same profession says
more, I believe, about Keith's influence than it does about my
apparent lack of creativity.
I got to know Keith much better in the next two years as
I attended the classes he taught and served as his graduate
assistant for a semester. I will remember him for his intelligience, his
guidance, his enthusiasm, and his patience. But most of all, I will
remember Keith for his laugh, because he had one of the very best.
Lamont Antieau
Athens, Georgia
I remember him demonstrating the indestructibility of floppies by
rubbing them under his arms, down his sleeves, across his shirt and saying
"you can do thiiiiss, you can do thiiisss" and across his face and saying
"even with a beard, you can do thiiisss." Almost every time I pick up a
floppy now, I remember this (and am a little less careful).
I remember being at his house on Mansfield, discussing important
topics such as MY ENTIRE CAREER, and having a fluffy white rabbit hopping
across my feet and in my lap, somehow making me take myself a little less
seriously; I can't remember the rabbit's name, but I remember it was a
terrible pun.
I remember him laughing with me at Ishtar -- now how many people can I
actually say THAT about??
I remember him insisting on calling me 'Nan-i-cy' the whole time he was
helping me with my epenthesis paper.
I remember Keith comforting me many, many times by assuring me that
I was right and They were wrong, no matter who 'They' happened to be, no
matter what 'They' happened to say. I always got off the phone or closed
the email or left his house feeling that I was a great linguist and RIGHT,
dammit. Sometimes I really needed that.
As I said in my dissertation acknowledgements, he was a great buddy and
a great linguist. I miss him terribly already.
Nancy Niedzielski
It's hard to think about this right now. Keith and I were trying to
set up a coffee date before I left Ann Arbor, and it never did work out.
I didn't get a chance to say goodbye, and to thank him for his advice and
support during my last year at Eastern. He made me laugh and he
challenged me to think, but what I liked the most about him was that he
didn't put on any airs... I always knew what he was about, and where I
stood with him. It is rare to find someone with the courage to be so
sincerely and genuinely himself. Please know that I am thinking of
everyone, and that I wish I could be there.
Laura Sabadini
I knew Keith when he was a grad student in linguistics at Stanford. I was
on the linguistics faculty. Keith, though he was totally lacking in
arrogance, still managed to find a way to make me feel as though my
position was less important than his. Maybe it was his extra-large size
that helped him to pull that one off.
Things began to improve when he started to T.A. for me. Though from time
to time I felt like I was T.A.ing for him, we were at least closer to
being equals. It must have been a comfortable feeling for both of us,
because he went on to T.A. the same course for me (with me?) for several
years. Finally, he and I co-authored the textbook for the course. I'll let
you guess whose name appeared first on the title page.
He was an exceptional person. He knew tons more than most of us about most
of the things we talked about, yet he was so nice about it that he
inspired admiration rather than envy. I feel very lucky to have had the
chance to work closely with him, especially on a book that stands of one
of his enduring contributions to his field.
Will Leben
I first met Keith when he was a prospective graduate student
at Stanford. His stentorian voice and his appearance gave him
the nickname "Pavarotti" by a visiting linguist there at the
time, a nickname that stuck for some of us (not in his
presence!). Keith and I immediately hit it off, and I was
excited to learn later that he would be coming to study at
Stanford. We shared deep convictions about the nature of
languages and the nature of linguistics, and spent much time
discussing, passionately and jokingly, both the languages
themselves and the people who study them.
We were the last two doctoral students supervised by Joseph
Greenberg, for whom we both had the utmost respect. (We did a
little to express that respect by editing a festschrift for
Greenberg with Suzanne Kemmer, and Keith also edited a large
collection of Greenberg's writings with Suzanne.) Keith always
reminded me of the importance of the history of a language and
of social variation in understanding how it worked.
I finished three years ahead of Keith, and went off to Ann
Arbor to teach in 1986. You can imagine how excited I was when I
discovered in 1989 that Keith was coming to teach in Ypsilanti,
just eight miles down the road. It is a rare event in academia
for such a good friend to end up working so close by.
Unfortunately it didn't last; academia often forces us to be
gypsies, and I left for England in 1993. Keith and his first
wife Barbara were an incredible help to us as we had to sell our
house and put our belongings in storage before leaving for
England. Keith was always the most generous and warmhearted
person. I remember Keith and his wife driving me to Detroit
Metropolitan Airport, in a pelting Midwestern August rainstorm.
He came into the airport with me and my bags and hugged me with
his big bear hug, with tears as I cried goodbye to home---and to
Keith, for that was the last time I saw him.
Once in England, I phoned Keith periodically---he was not
much of an emailer, despite his passion for the Macintosh and
all the things you could do with it. (Again, I remember his
generosity whenever I lost a file or had some other Mac
problem.) I just missed him this fall, trying to phone him in
October; and then the news suddenly came of his death. I was
stunned, as was everyone, and it took time for it to sink in. It
still hasn't sunk in.
Keith and I shared another passion very deeply: books. We
soon came to admire (and secretly envy) each other's libraries,
especially the grammars of languages from around the world. If
we had the occasion to go to a used bookstore together, it would
be a friendly race to the linguistics and languages sections.
But any look at Keith's library revealed that he was much more
than a linguist. His interests was extraordinarily wide, as
others on this page have said. Even in linguistics, his breadth
of knowledge was immense: a scholar for all of us to emulate.
And yet he was also very modest.
One time when I still lived in Michigan, I went to visit
Keith when he still lived in an apartment. It was a sunny day,
and he was outside chatting with a couple of (nonlinguist)
friends of his. When I came up, he greeted me, and introduced me
to his friends as "my best friend in linguistics". I was very
touched. That was how I thought of Keith.
Bill Croft, December 22, 1998
Tonight, March 8th, 1999, I'm clicking for the first time after a while
on a link on my homepage, pointing to the EMU linguistics program.
Shock! One of the last things I expected was to read Professor Denning's
obituary notice.
I studied English linguistics at EMU in 1990/91, and the first weeks
after arrival seemed to me almost like a crime thriller. I was already at the
end of my tether when the linguistics program started. I
met Keith Denning. When I visited him in his office on the left side of this
small floor, he asked me: "Now, what's your story?" For the very first
time while in Ypsilanti, I felt I was being taken serious.
The "thick, fat Webster" I bought due to his influence is right now still
merely a 50 cm to my left, despite all the online dictionaries and
stuff you can use today. I needed it recently when a student of mine was
asking me for the meaning of "escrow" in German, a word you don't find in
standard English-German dictionaries.
During another visit in his office, Professor Denning told me that the
University of the Saarland (where I was coming from) had established
the Institute of Computational Linguistics with Professor Manfred Pinkal
and Professor Hans Uszkoreit as primary researchers. So I went back to
Saarbrücken and started studying Computational Linguistics with EMU slowly
fading from my mind.
Today, I am teaching "math-for-linguists"-related stuff at the Department
for General and English Linguistics of the Technical University Berlin
(chair Prof. Dr. Peter Erdmann) while I am busy writing my dissertation.
But who was the man giving me THE chance to experience a first-class
linguistic education in the U.S. and gave me important hints toward my
academic development in Germany?
It was Professor Dr. Keith Denning.
God bless him.
Bernd-Paul Simon, March 8, 1999
The last time I emailed Keith Denning, we talked about violins. Funny...
I spent four years in the linguistics program at Eastern and never knew
he used to play the violin. Still, I'm not surprised. That kind of
unexpected talent is exactly what I've come to expect from Professor
Denning.
It's hard to decide what to write. I could say that Keith Denning was a
wise, down-to-earth, supportive mentor. I could say he was a warm,
generous, caring friend. It would all be true. Yet it wouldn't be
enough. His real gift was his ability to touch the lives of those around
him... to make each person he knew feel special, to make even a casual
acquaintance feel like a lifelong friend. Every time I sent him a
sporadic email, I'd always start off with "you may not remember me after
all this time... ." And every single time, he'd answer by saying,
"Erika, of course I remember you! How are you doing?"
I valued Professor Denning's opinions deeply. When I first began
graduate work in TESOL, he was the person I turned to for advice and
encouragement. He was so confident in my abilities that I couldn't help
but be confident too. He may have been a professor of linguistics, but
the most important thing he taught me was how to believe in myself.
I logged on tonight to send Professor Denning another one of my
infrequent emails. I wanted to tell him that I'm pursuing a law degree,
that my linguistics degree from Eastern earned me scholarship offers
from some of the best law schools in the country. I certainly never
expected to find a commemorative Web page on the linguistics site.
I'm going to miss him. I'm going to miss having someone to turn to for
advice and someone to share my accomplishments with. And I'm going to
miss that familiar reply, "Erika, of course I remember you! How are you
doing?"
Erika Millen
B.A., 1990
I only met Keith at conferences, yet it seemed like we had always
been friends. His talks were always stimulating, and this led me to
ask for a copy of his dissertation. It is so far ranging that I
have not come to grips with all of it yet--the bibliography accounts
for almost a third of its length. We had casually agreed to do some
work on ATR vowels, and I wish that we had pushed a little harder on
that.
When I would talk to Keith about his home institution, I would
invariably block on its name. I could spell "Ypsilanti" but I always
thought the university was Northern Southern Western Eastern Michigan
U. Keith finally sent me a coffee mug with the seal of EMU on it,
and, amazingly, this worked in setting it in my memory. The paint,
oddly enough, has faded to the point where it is almost impossible to
tell that there was ever anything there, but I know that it is the EMU
mug. Little did I know that Keith would fade at such an early age,
leaving us all with indelible memories.
Doug Whalen
Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT
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