James Christmann

11/28/2001

James W. Christmann 37, of Arlington died Wednesday morning at home of cancer. He was the son-in-law of Frederick and Nancy Costello of Lee. Born in Camp Springs, Md., on April 18, 1964, son of William and Marilyn Clapper Christmann of Pembroke, he moved to Pembroke as a boy and graduated from Silver Lake Regional High School. He also graduated from Dartmouth College with honors and received his doctorate in British and American literature from Tufts University in 1998, specializing in 19th-century African-American literature. Mr. Christmann was director of the writing program at Wheelock College in Boston. As a member of the humanities department, he taught courses on American literature, including African-American literature. His published work includes the award-winning "Raising Voices, Lifting Shadows: Competing Voice-Paradigms in Frances E.W. Harper''s ''Iola Leroy'' " and "Dialect''s Double Murder: Thomas Nelson Page''s ''In Ole Virginia''." An outdoorsman, he enjoyed fishing, canoeing, cross-country skiing and playing soccer with his sons. He regularly biked to work, even during chemotherapy. Besides his parents, he leaves his wife, the former Suzanne Costello, whom he married Aug. 5, 1995; two sons, Peter Christmann and William Christmann, both of Arlington, and a sister, Elizabeth Christmann of Plymouth. A memorial service will be held Sunday at 2 at First Parish Church in Duxbury. Funeral arrangements are private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a scholarship in Mr. Christmann''s name at Wheelock College, 200 The Riverway, Boston, MA 02215. KELLY FUNERAL HOME is in charge of local arrangements.

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