Louis D. Rubin, author, critic, and cofounder of Algonquin Books, has died.
Rubin, who was awarded the NBCC's Sandrof Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2005, mentored generations of Southern writers, including Lee Smith, Kaye Gibbons, Annie Dillard, Clyde Edgerton, and Jill McCorkle. “He totally changed my life, and you know, I'm just one of thousands who say that,” said McCorkle, who has published 10 books since taking creative writing with Rubin as a UNC-CH senior. “He was just the greatest teacher and friend — and loyal.”