Randall Kenan, an author whose stories explored the experience of being Black and gay in the American South, has died. He was 57.

The University of North Carolina, where Kenan taught as an English professor, confirmed his death on Saturday. A cause was not immediately available,

Daniel Wallace, his friend and colleague at the university, said Kenan was found dead Friday at his home in Hillsborough, near Chapel Hill.

“He was just an immense talent. His best years were ahead of him,” Wallace said, noting that his most recent book, If I Had Two Wings, was published just this month. “And he was a gentleman of the old school” who never failed to bring flowers or chocolate to Wallace’s wife when he would visit the couple.

Kenan grew up in North Carolina and attended UNC, receiving his undergraduate degree in 1985.

His 1992 collection of short stories, Let the Dead Bury Their Dead, was set in the fictional town of Tim’s Creek, North Carolina. It received critical acclaim and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

He also wrote a young adult biography of author James Baldwin.

Earlier this month, Kenan wrote an open letter reflecting on his experience as a Black student at UNC in the ’80s, and the changes prompted by civil unrest, demands for racial justice and the removal of Confederate statues across the South.

“For me — a poor black boy from the swamps of Eastern North Carolina — the Civil War was far from a lost cause, let alone a done war. I had underestimated how unfinished,” he wrote.

Photo via Flyleaf Books.

Related Stories
‹
Renowned Author and Chapel Hill Resident Elizabeth Spencer Dies at 98
Elizabeth Spencer, a grande dame of Southern literature who bravely navigated between the Jim Crow past and open-ended present in her novels and stories including the celebrated novella “Light In the Piazza,” has died at 98. Spencer, who sometimes went by her married name Elizabeth Rusher, died Sunday night in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, according […]
UNC Grad, Author Performs Reading at Stone Center
The Stone Center hosted E. Patrick Johnson last week to speak about his book, Black. Queer. Southern. Women. He performed dramatic readings of certain women’s stories and discussed with audience members the book’s oral histories about black lesbian identity in the South. Johnson, who is a performance studies and African-American studies professor at Northwestern University, […]
The Morning News: New CHCCS Board Member, Newmark on UNC Football Probe
In today's news: the CHCCS board appoints a new member, and UNC athletic director Steve Newmark addresses the recent football investigation.
Enrollment Growth, Legislative Relationships and The Alumni Center: Highlights of the UNC Board of Trustees Meetings (September 2026)
The UNC Board of Trustees held its first set of meetings this week since classes resumed in Chapel Hill, bringing the governing body of the university together to the Rizzo Conference Center complex. The group’s agenda ranged from new and advancing development projects, external affairs updates and critiques, data on UNC’s enrollment growth amid a […]
UNC Athletic Director, Chancellor Say 'Corrective Action Plan' Being Developed After Football Investigation
One week after UNC closed its internal investigation into the Tar Heel football program for potential conduct and policy violations, the university's leaders shed more light on the decision and their next steps.
The Morning News: Chatham vs. Data Centers, CHCCS Board Vacancy, UNC Player Eligibility
In today's news: the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board will appoint a new member, and four UNC athletes have their eligibility restored.
'Baseball is a Booming Sport': Checking in With the Diamond Heels' Scott Forbes
As his team began its fall practices and scrimmages earlier this month, Scott Forbes sat down and discussed the state of the Diamond Heels.
100 Years of Kenan Stadium: 'My Most Memorable Day'
To commemorate Kenan Stadium’s centennial season, 97.9 The Hill is inviting community members to share their favorite Kenan memories from the past 100 years. This twice-weekly series will showcase stories from players and fans throughout the fall. Spring commencement is always one of the busiest days of the year at Kenan Stadium. It’s an emotional […]
Chansky's Notebook: Snap Decisions
Art Chansky says it may be time for Bill Belichick and UNC to make a change at the quarterback position following Saturday's loss at Clemson.
Are They Eligible? Keeping Up with UNC's Rece Verhoff, Cameron Fens and Others
Student-athletes across the country are currently embroiled in an eligibility fight against the NCAA. The athletes, who graduated high school in 2022, are seeking a fifth year of eligibility under the NCAA’s new rules. However, the NCAA is countering that the rule only applies to students currently in college from the 2026-27 academic year forward. […]
›