Anita Moss (1943-2018)

It is with the deepest sorrow that we acknowledge the death of Professor Anita Moss, Professor of English, who taught at UNC Charlotte for 46 years. Dr. Moss was admired and respected by all of her colleagues and loved by virtually every student who was fortunate enough to take a course with her. Her classes in Children’s Literature encouraged students to explore new ideas using theoretical frameworks from Joseph Campbell, Northrop Frye, and dozens of other critics. Her enthusiasm for literature,film, and theatre was apparent in almost every conversation in which she was engaged, and she was renowned for her devotion to students. That commitment to teaching was reflected in the NCNB Teaching Award (now the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence) which she was awarded in 1988.

In 1987, Prof. Moss received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to pursue “The Teaching of Literature, Writing and Critical Thinking.” The funding enabled Moss to organize a series of workshops and seminars for teachers in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. During her career, Moss served as the North American editor of Children’s Literature in Education from 1982 to 1996. She was co-editor of The Family of Stories: An Anthology of Children’s Literature, published in 1986 by Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Every moment shared with Anita Moss was filled with enthusiasm about new ideas, literature, movies, and often politics. All of us, students, staff, and faculty alike, will miss her remarkable presence.

A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m., Sunday, April 15, in Fretwell Building, Room 100. Everyone is welcome to attend.