Meir Z. Ribalow ’70

Class poet Meir Ribalow died Aug. 23, 2012.

A New Yorker and an Exeter graduate, Meir majored in English-creative arts. His creativity never waned. After working with producer and director Joseph Papp, Meir began his prolific writing career.

A professor and artist-in-residence at Fordham for 27 years, Meir penned 24 plays that resulted in 180 productions around the world. In 2011 he published a novel, Peanuts and Cracker Jacks; a book of poems, Chasing Ghosts; and a play, Masterpiece. Another novel, Readheaded Blues, was published in 2012. Meir also wrote as a film reviewer for The Sciences magazine, worked as a film scholar for documentaries on The Discovery Channel, and produced the program for a world chess championship.

A founder of the Creative Coalition and member of the Global Forum, he sat on panels with Mikhail Gorbachev and the Dalai Lama. Meir also founded the New River Dramatists, an incubator for writers seeking feedback on works in progress. Nearly half of the 400 pieces developed there have been produced or optioned worldwide.

“Renaissance man” is a much-over-used label but one aptly applied to Meir. To his mother and sister, the class extends its deepest sympathy.