PROVING CONTRARIES: A COLLECTION OF WRITINGS IN HONOR OF EUGENE ENGLAND, ed. by Robert Rees, Signature, 290 pages, $32.95.

Gene England was stricken with brain cancer and died in 2001 at the age of 68 — but his impression on students of both Mormonism and literature was profound and deep.

Among the institutions where he taught English, creative writing, literature and religion were St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., The University of Utah's LDS Institute of Religion, Brigham Young University and Utah Valley State College. He spent 22 years at BYU, and at UVSC he began the first Mormon Studies program in the nation.

England wrote several books and more than 150 articles and personal essays throughout his distinguished academic career. He was also founding co-editor of Dialogue: Journal of Mormon Thought, which began publication in 1966.

He was well known for his love of teaching and people-related issues. He was a very religious man with a deep devotion to his LDS faith. But he was also a thinker who always wanted to know both sides of an argument and had the courage to sometimes espouse an unpopular position.

This legacy makes the publication of "Proving Contraries" especially notable. It contains more than 20 poems, articles and personal essays designed to celebrate England's life. They are written by important scholars who were also colleagues or students of England.

The opening quotation is from Joseph Smith: "By proving contraries, truth is made manifest."

Robert Rees, the editor of the volume, writes in personal terms about England the man — and in his classy closing essay, "Eugene England Enters Heaven," Rees describes a heaven many readers will love. But there are also challenging and interesting essays by folklorist William A. Wilson and sociologist Armand Mauss.

Carol Lynn Pearson, popular Mormon author and poet, writes about "My Homeless Man"; Doug Thayer, a good friend and a storyteller, writes about Crow Basin; and Karen Rosenbaum, also a storyteller, writes about "Unfinished Prayers."

Emma Lou Thayne, Bruce Jorgensen, R.A. Christmas and Dian Saderup Monson contribute fine poetry, while Edward L. Kimball, Steve Walker, Dennis Marden Clark and Lavina Fielding Anderson deal with theology and doctrine.

Frances Menlove offers a profound piece on "Foot Care," while Levi Peterson writes knowingly about wilderness. Mary Lythgoe Bradford writes "Suddenly Single," a graceful account of her recent experience as a widow in a married church that has learned how to speak to singles, and Laurel Thatcher Ulrich writes a short piece about her shock at receiving the Pulitzer Prize, and the way it changed her life. Margaret Blair Young writes a personal tribute, "Gene—Sorry I Missed You (P.S. I still do)."All of these personal essays would make England proud.Wayne Booth, the literary critic who died earlier this year, wrote about democratic education in a way that England would have appreciated.

This is a delightful, thoughtful collection to be savored — both for Gene and ourselves.

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E-mail: dennis@desnews.com