As many of you have heard, author Ray Bradbury passed away yesterday at the age of 91. His novels have been beloved by millions of readers all over the world; as a writer and creative soul he has had an enduring influence on me and countless other storytellers.
This is something he wrote about death:
Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you're there.
It doesn't matter what you do, he said, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like you after you take your hands away. The difference between the man who just cuts lawns and a real gardener is in the touching, he said. The lawn-cutter might just as well not have been there at all; the gardener will be there a lifetime.
I haven't the slightest doubt that Ray Bradbury's work will continue to thrill readers and inspire other writers for many more generations. And Mr. Ray? Thank you for changing me. God speed and safe journey.
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Then Bradbury was a gardener supreme.
ReplyDeleteI'd planned a similar tribute. Remarkably saddened by the passing of this author who played a substantial part in my own desire to write.
But I don't worry about that soul. :)
Thank you for sharing that, Lynn. Safe journey, Mr. Bradbury.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I am not familiar with Ray Bradbury. It always makes me sad when an author passes away though. It makes me wonder what words were in their head that still needed to get out.
ReplyDeleteHe will be missed. What an incredible talent. How many imaginations were fired by his works of fantasy and science fiction.... Interesting that he saw himself as a fantasy writer.
ReplyDeleteHear hear.
ReplyDeleteRay Bradbury had a great influence on me, my life. I wrote a post about it yesterday, remembering the man who changed my world view with his words.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many writers he inspired. Count me as one.
ReplyDeleteOne of my all-time favorite writers, and the author of my favorite book, FARENHEIT 451. What an extraordinary writer and extraordinary man. R.I.P., Mr. Bradbury, and thank you.
ReplyDelete"Fahrenheit 451", "Something Wicked This Way Comes", "The Martian Chronicles" made me fall in love with the way he used words. And the first sci-fi move I really loved as a child was "It Came from Outer Space", a Harry Essex screenplay developed from Bradbury's screen treatment "Atomic Monster". Plus one of my favourite first lines ...
ReplyDelete“First of all, it was October, a rare month for boys.” ~ Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes
I like to think he embraced the stars.
ReplyDelete