08:28 PM CDT on Thursday, September 9, 2004
Lee Christopher Milazzo Jr., longtime book critic for The Dallas Morning News and a respected teacher, bibliophile, collector, historian and editor, died Thursday of cancer at his Dallas home. He was 62. A memorial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 6306 Kenwood Ave. in Dallas. "He was an agent of American culture," said his son Joseph Milazzo of Dallas. "He tried to bring American culture to as many people as he could whether in the classroom, newspaper or through his dealings with other collectors." While Mr. Milazzo was interested and well versed in many subjects – from opera to baseball – he was highly regarded as a book reviewer, said Robert Compton, retired book editor of The News. "He was always a very knowledgeable, astute reviewer," Mr. Compton said. "He was one of the best – very dependable – whether it was fiction or nonfiction. He carried on correspondence with some of the best known writers of the time, John Updike and Joyce Carol Oates." Mr. Updike and Ms. Oates stand out in Mr. Compton's mind among the authors who wrote to the Dallas book reviewer and complimented him on his work. Mr. Compton said he doesn't know of any current book critic with Mr. Milazzo's depth of talent and versatility. "I'm not aware of any who could cross so many boundaries," he said. Mr. Milazzo taught college-level courses in comparative literature and loved the opera, and he was also a sports fan. "I was always amazed at his intimate knowledge of baseball," Mr. Compton said. "He knew batting averages. He could name members of teams, positions and how they finished in a given year. He was amazing." Born Feb. 16, 1942, in Texarkana, Texas, Mr. Milazzo almost died of polio before he was 2 years old and lived the rest of his life as a paraplegic. He studied English and history at Texarkana College before continuing his studies at Southern Methodist University, where he received a bachelor's degree in English in 1962 and a master's degree in 1967. He liked to say he received his ABD – all but dissertation – for his doctoral work in history from SMU in 1972. He was an assistant professor of English in Texarkana from 1965 to 1969. For nearly 20 years, Mr. Milazzo had a relationship with SMU that included a number of duties from teaching history to serving as the university's archivist, his son said. He also worked with the Friends of the SMU Library, organized the school's literary festival and was an editor for the Southwest Review, the literary quarterly. Mr. Milazzo was also renowned for his editing skills. He was Sam Acheson's editor for the 1977 book Dallas Yesterday, published by SMU Press. He also edited an electronic book of conversations with Ms. Oates for the University Press of Mississippi in 1989. In the 1980s, he edited the Southwestern Landmarks Series of significant Texas books published by Texas A&M University Press, volumes that had long fallen out of print, such as Lon Tinkle's 13 Days to Glory, M.J. Jacques' Texas Ranch Life, and Larry McMurtry's Horseman, Pass By. "Lee was deeply practical and knew that the most practical thing anyone could do was to have a dream, then follow it," said Cheryl Chapman, book editor of The News. "The impossible never stopped Lee, and his assessments illuminated everything they touched for the rest of us. He had no peer." "There wasn't anything he wasn't into," said his wife, Jeanne Milazzo of Dallas. "He liked sports, music and books. He enjoyed life." His passion for music included writing reviews for the American Record Guide.
He was a member of the Grolier Club of New York, America's oldest and largest society for bibliophiles and enthusiasts in the graphic arts.
In addition to his wife and son, Mr. Milazzo is survived by two other sons, L. Christopher Milazzo III and John Milazzo, both of Dallas; a daughter, Caroline Zalman of Dallas; and a sister, Mary Kay Adams of Newport, Ore.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society or a charity of choice.
E-mail jsimnacher@dallasnews.com