Stephanie Vaughn, a beloved Cornell professor and acclaimed short story writer, died in Ithaca on Nov. 12 at age 81, according to the Cornell Chronicle.
She taught creative writing for nearly four decades, helped lead the Creative Writing Program to national acclaim, and inspired generations of writers with her sharp insight and generosity.
Her 1990 story collection Sweet Talk remains a staple in American literature classrooms, and her legacy lives on in the voices she nurtured—both in the classroom and at her famed garden parties with her late husband, Michael Koch.
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