Tale of Woe: A suicide, accusations of bullying rock esteemed UVA literary journal

On John Casteen’s last official day in office as UVA president, a tragedy unfolded...

Aug 19, 2015

∙ Paid

This story, which first appeared in The Hook, received national attention.

The Hook - “Virginia Quarterly Review has become one of the most widely admired magazines in the country,” said Sid Holt, chief executive of the American Society of Magazine Editors. "From 2005 to 2011, VQR received 25 National Magazine Award nominations in categories ranging from fiction to multimedia."

Unfortunately, the accolades accompanied the depletion of the literary journal's financial reserves and a human toll– including the 2010 suicide of managing editor Kevin Morrissey. The following stories I wrote detail what unfolded:

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