Jon Hassler, who “suffered from a longtime neurological disorder,” died Thursday at the age of 74, according to the Associated Press (via USA Today), which noted that, despite his deteriorating health, the author of Staggerford and other novels about small-town life “continued work on a book, Jay O’Malley, until his death.”In a 1995 AP interview, Hassler said “he liked writing about misfits. ‘You can’t write a novel about somebody who’s perfectly happy.'”

Years ago I read two of his works : Dean’s List and Rookery Blues. The main character in both is a college professor, much like the author himself.