Joan Acocella Obituary

The literary world mourns the passing of Joan Acocella, a distinguished American journalist and renowned dance critic, who left an indelible mark on the realms of literature, dance, and psychology.

Education

Joan Barbara Ross, born on April 13, 1945, in San Francisco, embarked on her intellectual journey with a strong foundation in education. Growing up in Oakland, she earned her B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1966. Her academic pursuits reached new heights when she obtained a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Rutgers University in 1984, exploring the intricate world of the Ballets Russes through her thesis.

Career

Acocella’s career unfolded as a tapestry of diverse roles. From contributing to The Village Voice to serving as the New York dance critic for the Financial Times, she showcased a multifaceted talent that transcended traditional boundaries. Her journey at The New Yorker, where she served as the dance critic from 1998 to 2019, solidified her reputation as a discerning voice in the world of arts and culture.

Literary Contributions

Joan Acocella’s literary contributions were as varied as they were profound. Her books, including “Creating Hysteria: Women and Multiple Personality Disorder” (1999), “Mark Morris” (1993), and “Twenty-Eight Artists and Two Saints” (2007), reflected her ability to explore the human psyche and the virtues shared among extraordinary artists. Notably, she also served as an editor, preserving the memoirs of her grandmother in “Mission to Siam: The Memoirs of Jessie MacKinnon Hartzell” (2001).

Recognition and Accolades

Acocella’s impact extended beyond the written word. Her New Yorker article, “Cather and the Academy,” not only received a Front Page Award from the Newswomen’s Club of New York but also found a place in the prestigious “Best American Essays” anthology of 1996. This essay later evolved into the seminal work “Willa Cather and the Politics of Criticism” (2000).

Controversy and Criticism

In 2012, Acocella’s review of Henry Hitchings’s “The Language Wars” sparked criticism from Jan Freeman and Mark Liberman. The episode, documented by John McIntyre of The Baltimore Sun, highlighted Acocella’s fearlessness in confronting contentious topics, a trait that characterized her throughout her career.