▁From ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁director ▁of ▁gradu ate ▁studies . ▁Howard ▁author ed ▁numerous ▁books , ▁ess ays , ▁and ▁literature ▁reviews , ▁including ▁several ▁on ▁English ▁poet ▁William ▁Bla ke . ▁Howard ▁wrote ▁In fer nal ▁Po et ics : ▁Po etic ▁Struct ures ▁in ▁Bla ke ' s ▁Lamb eth ▁Prop he cies ▁and ▁Bla ke ' s ▁Mil ton : ▁A ▁Study ▁in ▁the ▁Self hood . ▁ ▁Later ▁life ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁Howard ▁retired ▁to ▁Green castle , ▁Indiana , ▁where ▁his ▁wife ▁taught ▁at ▁De P au w ▁University . ▁He ▁attempted ▁to ▁fost er ▁the ▁sport ▁at ▁the ▁college , ▁but ▁failed . ▁Howard ▁explained :" I ▁tried ▁to ▁start ▁lac ros se ▁at ▁De P au w . ▁We ▁held ▁a ▁few ▁practices ▁in ▁the ▁fall . ▁The ▁k ids ▁had ▁a ▁problem — they ▁would ▁not ▁believe ▁you ▁could ▁catch ▁and ▁throw ▁a ▁lac ros se ▁ball ▁while ▁you ▁were ▁running . ▁They ▁thought ▁you ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁standing ▁still   ... ▁After ▁Christmas , ▁nobody ▁came ▁back . ▁Either ▁I ' m ▁a ▁l ous y ▁teacher ▁or ▁k ids ▁in ▁Indiana ▁just ▁didn ' t ▁like ▁lac ros se ." ▁ ▁Howard ▁died ▁of ▁p neum onia ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 7 2 ▁at ▁Saint ▁Vincent ▁H osp ice ▁in ▁Indian apolis . ▁He ▁was