Blake and I shared the same fascination for illustrations, and I felt ever so privileged to work on the Sterne illustration catalogue with him for several years. When I first met him I was still working on my PhD. Yet, he immediately treated me like a colleague and fully-fledged scholar. We managed to stay at Shandy Hall in 2005 at the same time and I took this picture of him. With hindsight I feel sorry not to have asked someone to take one with the two of us together there. It's such a mythical spot for Shandy buffs. We were almost the same age. Today I'm emeritus from a French university, where I eventually landed a job as lecturer, but he sadly left us. Next week in Paris I will give a talk for a young generation of students. I decided it should be entitled "Tristram Shandy and the Visual Imagination" in memory of our collaboration and his wonderful book. I shall begin by a few words about him and hope he'll hear me from where he is. I wish we could still have those wonderful conversations about pictures, prints, rare editions, etc. I  miss him a great deal ! Thanks for keeping this space still open for contributions. From my little town in Alsace with love, Brigitte

In 2014, I sat in my first class as a graduate student in the Masters of Liberal Arts program, under the instruction of Dr. Gerard. His love for writing and literature was very impressive and inspiring.  After taking a break,  in March 2017, I bumped into him while picking up my daughter’s birthday cake at Publix. He wasted no time in urging me to return to the program. I completed the MLA in May 2019.  I went to his office several times to thank him for helping me to get back on track, but he was never in office. I was saddened to hear of his passing. I just wanted to tell him - Thank you Dr.  Gerard for encouraging me to continue my journey. You will be missed. 
     — Sandy

Back in spring 2020, I had a creative writing fiction workshop that Mr. Gerard taught. It was the greatest class I ever had at AUM, and it was an elective. He inspired me to read again and helped develope my passion for writing, that I didn't know I had before meeting him. I wanted to thank him but found out today of the sad news. He was easily my favorite professor I've ever had and I can still hear him correcting my writing to this day. I will never forget him.

Still sad for his family, he was so loved by them.  4 years later, hard for them to bear. Peace and best wishes always.

Laurie and Mike Byro

It’s hard to believe it’s been three years since Blake’s passing. He was a great neighbor. He was always friendly and would come over to our house at Christmas with one of his sons to visit. It was fun to listen to him talk about his trips. He loved going to England and enrich his literature skills for his teaching as well as his family. He has been missed.

We didn't become friends until after your husband had passed and I never knew what he passed away from or how he passed away. I had a couple of friends of mine who passed away in their sleep also one from heart attack and one from cancer. And having to know you now we would have been friends a long time ago along with your husband and we probably would be in touch today like we are now. I send you nothing but but good thoughts happy health and I have nothing but great respect for you and probably your husband for the work you probably did he seems like a humanitarian just like you. Take care of yourself and we'll talk soon almost everyday now.

I miss our conversations, he was such a prince and advocate for poetry, poets, literature in general. Why does this happen to the best and the brightest? I feel for his wife and kids, Hope all is well, love to you all. 

Blake Gerard was my best friend as a boy growing up in Jackson Heights, Queens.  I was often a guest in the Gerard home, and Blake and I shared many happy afternoons together.  I remember that Blake was an avid butterfly collector with a special affinity for Swallowtails.
I've only just learned of his passing, after being out of touch for a few years.  I'm very sorry to hear he has been lost to us.  He was a wonderful, creative, and generous man.  

To the family of Dr. Gerard-

I was a student worker for Dr. Gerard back in 2006-2008 at AUM as an editorial assistant for The Scriblerian, as well as his publication Divine Rhetoric.  I came across a thesaurus he gifted me when my work with him was done and wanted to reach out.  I learned of his passing as I was attempting to locate his email address.  I am shocked and extend my deepest sympathies to you all.

I wanted to thank him for the opportunity to work with him all those years ago.  I wasn't even an English major, but I was in his English Lit II class when he recognized gifts in me that I didn't realize were there.  Learning about editing from him made me a much stronger writer and communicator.  I've also become the de facto proofreader at every job I've had since then!  I wish I had been able to share with him the impact his teaching has had on my life.

My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

-Stefanie Holman Nelson 

 

Carol, Sam, Joe, Cousin Eileen, and Brett.                                                     I'm Blake's cousin, one of Mary Conti (Gerardi's ) daughters.  We are all so deeply saddened to hear of his death and extend our sincerest condolences to all of you.   
As I read through all of these beautiful and heartfelt tributes, it is clear how very much everyone has lost by Blake's passing.  What strikes me is how much everyone has gained by knowing him.  He made such a profound impact on everyone he met.  Husband, father, brother, son, cousin, friend, colleague and teacher.  He was an outstanding human being and I'm proud to call him cousin.  
I know the days and months ahead will not be easy for his family, while learning to navigate their new normal.  I'm so happy for you that you got to know first hand what a remarkable person he was and how much you were loved by him.   He is an magnificent example of a live well lived and loved.  To Sam and Joe, continue to live the life he taught you how to and be proud to be his sons.  Love and strength to all of you

Dear Carol, Sam and Joe,
Although I never met Blake, after reading these memories and tributes I see he lived his life deeply and honestly, with kindness and wit.  Sharing a life with such a person is a blessing.  It enriches.   Such people seep into your heart and soul, forever with you in so many different ways.  May this bring you comfort always. 
My deepest condolences for the loss of your beloved Husband, Dad, Son, Brother.


Dear Carol, Ellen, Sam, and Joe:
I knew Blake in the olden days of Jackson Heights and the early 1970s.  He was a terrific pen pal who became a wonderful boyfriend.  He brought flowers to every date; he wrote letters with Latin phrases at the tops of each one.  We loved the TV show M*A*S*H, George Harrison, peach-faced love birds.  Blake’s wit and warmth were evident as a kid and lately as a man.  Occasionally, we would chat late at night (for him) and he was clearly still brilliant.

I wasn’t aware that Blake was ill so when Marion (from Stuyvesant) messaged me, I was knocked for a loop.  Even when we know it’s coming, losing someone is utterly unfathomable.  When it comes out of the blue, it can be a shock.  My heart breaks for you all.  I know you don’t know me, but Seattle is often a destination and our house has multiple guest rooms.  I’d love to open our home to any or all of you.

Sabrina Marshall Friend
207 5th Avenue North
Edmonds, WA 98020
206-941-2595
sabrinafriend@gmail.com



God’s Speed Blake, God had other plans for you Dr. 
Prayers and Peaceful Easy Feelings sent your way...

The Rasmussen Family

Professor Gerard was so very blessed to have you, Carol.  I wish we could have met at the beach. I know Wayne and he would have really liked each other. You have two amazing sons together, cherish them.   Sam and Joe, you two are the most perfect precious gifts he and Carol ever received.  I know how very proud of you both he is.  There is   As a parent, I know what he wishes for you.  To be kind, compassionate and never give up.  Check on your mom often and hug her tight. You can never say "I love you" too much. We love you and are only a phone call or PM away.   Lori, Wayne, Lauren & Lincoln. 


I’ve known Blake since we both were freshman in high school together. 
Blake eventually edited Caliper, a HS English magazine, and our advisor was Frank McCourt, obviously well before he became famous. When McCourt taught Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”, we satirized it with an anonymous screed against some school policy and hung it up all over the halls early one morning. When McCourt saw it, he proclaimed it in class as the finest piece of student writing he’d seen all semester. I was agonized at the prospect of not being able to tell McCourt we’d written it, but Blake neatly solved the problem by hanging a copy inside the locker he had for the magazine, shared only by McCourt and himself.
As Blake got sick, when I talked to him, he was never interested in talking about his health. He would quickly dispatch any discussion of that, interested instead in my kids, my work, and then inevitably we’d get to bigger ideas and more abstract conversations, leavened with the same snarky one upsmanship we had always had, but of course mellowed with age and the real world consequences of what was happening around us. But his refusal to focus on his misfortune remains with me, because it really is so revealing of his character and humility. When we got to talking about books, he’d be genuinely interested in my opinions, even though my knowledge and reading were far outstripped by his.
And now he’s gone, far too soon to feel just or fair, to feel like his family wasn’t robbed of what was rightfully theirs. I’m sorry his last few years were marred by what must have been nonstop discomfort. 
But as I read all these accounts of his colleagues and students, I see a man who did so much good with his time here, who enriched so many people’s lives by the same curiosity and humility that I experienced. If the measure of a man is if he’s made the planet a little better, and I think it is, then Blake’s is very high.
Goodbye my friend, my oldest friend. You were loved. You will be missed.

Blake was a wonderful, talented funny and caring man. I knew him from our high school days at Stuyvesant HS,later reconnected with him when he drafted me to work on a short lived humor magazine, Rubber Chicken.  Tried to keep in touch with him over the years, had the pleasure of meeting his lovely wife, Carol, with whom I share a birthday! Deepest condolences to Carol and the boys.

Blake and I have been working together for years on various projects, but most regularly as editors of Scriblerian. We should all be lucky enough to have a professional partner as generous, assiduous, and smart as I had in Blake. He was a terrific scholar and a better human being. 

I will never forget Blake's humor or intellectual curiosity which I remember well from our time spent as students at Stuyvesant High School, even though we were never in the same classes, but had one teacher in common, English and creative writing teacher Frank McCourt. Both were traits that were with him till the very end, touching the lives of the many students who were fortunate to have him as their professor. At Stuyvesant he was editor-in-chief of its Fiction magazine, Caliper, and, not surprisingly, may have been the best editor of a student publication during the years we were there. My condolences to his wife Carol, his sons Sam and Joe, his brother Brett and mother Eileen, and to the many who were fortunate to know his exceptional gifts in scholarship and teaching. 

Blake and I grew up in the same building (The Towers) - 33-28 81st Street in Jackson Heights. He lived on the 5th floor, and we lived on the first. I remember playing with him and his brother in their apartment, and I remember the beautiful glass birds his father used to make. We went to the same public schools, P.S. 69, J.H.S. 145, and high school - Stuyvesant. Blake was more eclectic, I was more athletic, but nevertheless, we were always friends. May his memory be for a blessing.

He was the editor of "That" and when I asked what to send him, and warned him my poetry was weird and wild he said "perfect for That" and then published a poem that no one would touch about a woman who had a love affair with a lyrebird. NOT kidding. I worried that I only had a community college education. I didn't even know he had a PHD, Blake was so unassuming and said "based on your poetry and understanding of literature, I hereby grant you a PHD in poetics."  It meant something to me. I have MS and had two kinds of cancers. I have been in pain all summer and HE, who didn't speak much about his own terrible cancer, encouraged me.  He was so upbeat, hopeful (hope IS the hardest love we carry) and full of love and gratitude about his family and his students that I did not realize that he was carrying this burden.  A brave and wonderful man with a brave and wonderful family. I know it was too short, but he had a great life. I shall miss him, one of the few editors, I always looked forward to engaging with, and I think we who were blesed to know his soul even a little bit, are heartbroken right now. My deepest sorrow and condolences to his family.  Please reach out if it is helpful to do so. 

I will be forever grateful to Dr. Gerard for pairing me and the stranger who would one day become my husband as editing partners in his Creative Writing seminar at Auburn University at Montgomery (I like to think he did this knowingly).  Dr. Gerard taught us to write with passion and authenticity, and from the works we were inspired to create in his class, we learned so much about ourselves and each other.  As authors now, we think of Dr. Gerard frequently and fondly in our everyday lives. We had planned to send him a wedding photo but did not know that his time was running short.  We share our condolences for his family and our gratitude to them for supporting Dr. Gerard as he shared his talents with so many other lucky students and us.

Blake, You were such an important part of my High School years.  I had the biggest crush on you, for your smooth intelligence and floppy hair.  I absolutely loved it whenever we were in the same classes.  You were an incredible writer, especially in the Comic Book genre.  I saved your comic book all these years, and in spite of what you thought, I was proud to be a star.  When you contacted me in July to express your regret at having written the comic book (!!??), I had no way to know what you were going through and that you were making amends to me.  Big hugs and lots of love to your family and if they are anything like you they should consider themselves lucky to have known you.

I'll be forever grateful that following a long day in the documents in my hometown of Beverley (UK), Blake accepted the invitation from this (then) young, Yorkshire lad to visit a Medieval pub, share a pint, and talk about Laurence Sterne.

This marked the beginnings of my own hobby-horsical Sternean journey which continues nearly a decade later.

In the years that followed I have been the grateful recipient of Blake's patient guidance, shrewd academic judgement, and friendship. I have precious memories from the last time I saw him; larking around the Natural History Museum in London, sharing a meal together, and talking work, life, and everything else in between.

His good humour and love of his family always shone through.

I'll raise a pint of Monkman's Slaughter in his honour next opportunity I get.

Thank you, my friend



Dr. Gerard was a wonderful professor. I often remember his classes fondly, and I will never forget how much he loved his work and how much he cared for the success and well-being of his students.

Remembering Blake at the many SEASECS (Southeastern Society for Eighteenth Century Studies) conferences we both attended;  remember sharing memories of life in New York, and mostly remember Blake's kindness as a human being in all

Dr. Gerard was the key part of my college education. He saw in me potential and worked hard to make sure I reached it. He went out of his way for me numerous times and helped me become who I am today.

He is a forever lasting influence on me. 



I have so many memories of Blake that I wouldn't know where to start. I knew him professionally, through SEASECS, as a fellow participant, The Scrib, and the Shandean, to which I contributed, and the two volumes of essays that he edited and to which I submitted contributions at his invitation. But most of all, he was my good and dear friend, and I will always miss him. My heartfelt sympathies to his family; you have lost a wonderful husband, father, son, and brother.

Blake was married to my first cousin Carol. I remember him as being really funny with a great sense of humor. He seemed quiet to me, well reserved. I remember him fondly, and the picture of him in my mind is of him smiling at our table at Jordan’s wedding. He will be greatly missed.

Blake was a great neighbor.  He was always kind and a joy to talk to.  His boys were young when they moved in and we were able to see them get through high school and go on to the University of  Alabama.  Blake and Carol are very proud of their boys and their accomplishments.  We see our crown jewels in our children and I know Blake will have at least two.  Rest in peace Blake.



Very sad news, the passing of Blake Gerard. He was someone I needed to know better. I always enjoyed hearing from him,  especially his comments on our mutual NYC connections. His contribution to the scholarly community is deep, appreciated, and shall be remembered by many.  Thank you, Blake, for all that you did so well.
- Maureen E. Mulvihill, Scriblerian contributor (1986 -). 
Sept. 1st, 2020. 
_________________

Dear Carol, Sam and Joe, our hearts go out to you. I know that Blake was a devoted husband and father, as well as a dedicated and scholarly professor. For Bob and me, Blake was a kind friend with a delightful and wry sense of humor, and one who kept us on our toes with his strong intellect and engaging conversation. We will miss him. May each of you find comfort and peace in your memories of your time together.

Dear Carol, I am so sorry to hear of Blake's passing. As I told Brian, you guys are young and these things should not be happening for years. Please accept my deepest sympathy and personal regards. 

Dr. Gerard was one of the greatest professors I’ve ever had at AUM. I enjoyed the first class I took with him so much that I signed up for another class with him the semester after. 

Within those two semesters, I learned so many skills and techniques from Dr. Gerard that were crucial in helping me grow as a writer.  He made it clear that he truly wanted to help each of his students become better writers. 

He even pushed me further in the direction of growth by offering me the wonderful opportunity to be an editorial assistant on his scholarly review journal. Although I was terrified, I was hungry for the experience and honored that Dr. Gerard, someone I strongly admired both as a professor and a writer, saw potential in me. I’m thankful that I took the opportunity and that I was able to work with Dr. Gerard for the short time that I was. 

I am so honored to have learned from him. I will forever be thankful for all that he did for me. 

He will always be my favorite teacher.  He was incredibly smart, charming, witty, and kind.  I remember it was 2011 specifically because when we talked about Skyrim he gave it a shot and had a great time.

After the semester he met my best friend and I at alley bar and let me buy him a drink.  Glenlivet 18 year.  After he found out what we paid for his drink he picked up our tabs.  

When I see my friend again we will share his drink in his memory.  I'm truly sorry for your loss.  He was truly a great, great man.

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

Dr. William Blake Gerard

11 janvier 1960 – 30 août 2020

Leak Memory Chapel

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