GC&SU mourns the loss of Atefat-Peckham

Suasan Atefat-Peckham will be remembered as a kind, loving woman who was a beautiful poet and who was devoted to her family.
“Dr. Atefat-Peckham was a gentle, kind woman, and the sadness of the world could be seen in her eyes at times,” said Dr. Megan Melancon, assistant professor of English at Georgia College & State University.
Dr. Susan Atefat-Peckham, 33, and her son Cyrus Peckham, 6, were killed Feb. 7 in an automobile accident while on a tour bus, near Karak, Jordan. A remembrance service will be held in the Arts & Sciences auditorium today at noon. Planning is underway for a more formal memorial at a later date.
Also injured in the accident were Atefat-Peckham’s husband, Dr. Joel Peckham, an assistant professor of English and composition at Georgia Military College, who suffered from a dislocated hip and is expected to fully recover; their other son, Darius, who has a broken arm; and Atefat-Peckham’s mother, who has a broken wrist. A Jordanian national friend and a family tutor accompanying them were also killed in this tragic accident, according to a press release from the Fulbright Program.
Atefat-Peckham and Peckham were both awarded Fulbright Scholarships, assigned to teach at the University of Jordan during the spring, and arrived in December 2003.
“Her impact on her students, and on the development of GC&SU’s new master of fine arts program in creative writing, was considerable and invaluable,” said Dr. David Evans, chair of the Department of English, speech, and journalism. “Though Susan was only with us for three semesters, she was a dear and valued member of the GC&SU community. She was a kind, thoughtful person, who was devoted to teaching, writing, and her family and friends.”

Born August 12, 1970, in New York City, Atefat-Peckham was a first-generation American to Iranian parents. She joined the faculty in the department of English, speech and journalism in 2002. She was the poetry editor of GC&SU’s international “Arts & Letters Journal of Contemporary Culture,” and the founding editor, along with her husband, of the “Milkwood Review,” an online journal of literature and the arts.
The author of “That Kind of Sleep,” winner of the National Poetry Series in 2000 and published by the Coffee House Press in 2001, Atefat-Peckham was a passionate advocate for the art of writing, an articulate and thoughtful activist for human rights and Middle East peace, and a talented painter and pianist. She published numerous poems and prose works in some of the best literary journals in the United States.
“Her writing considers her Iranian heritage with subtlety, humor, grace and a kind and generous spirit that transforms difficult circumstances into poignant work that appeals to many different kinds of readers,” said Evans.
Dr. Martin Lammon, Fuller E. Calloway Flannery O’Connor professor of English and coordinator of the creative writing program, said that a valuable member of the GC&SU family has been lost.
“Susan’s legacy is profound, and her students and colleagues will miss her greatly,” said Lammon. “She was an accomplished poet who also loved teaching others, a mentor to her students both artistically and spiritually. We have lost not just a colleague, but a beloved friend. Our hearts go out to her family.”
Lammon recalled an email from Susan in late December that captured the essence of Susan and her young son.
“She told a story about how Cyrus and Darius were watching cartoons in many different languages on the television, though only rarely could they find a program in English,” Lammon said. “Their favorite was ‘Tom and Jerry,’ which only uses music, no dialogue, to dramatize the cartoon. Susan wrote that Cyrus, so excited, said, ‘It’s great, the music is in English!’ A poet’s son, indeed. They will both be missed more than we can express.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 13 2004. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry