Monthly Archives: November 2008

Forry Riding Wave of Encouragement

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Doug Spaulding posted a new message from Joe Moe, Forry’s assistant, to Raybradburyboard.com on November 10:

Thanks for all of your love and support. I pass each message on to Forry. Right now, I need everyone’s help to dispel any misinformation traveling around fandom. As I’ve said before, Forry gleefully relishes the early obits and other stuff. But it’s important that friends and fans don’t suffer distress from false reports and mere opinions. Recently, for example, someone wrote to me that they’d heard that Forry is “starving himself to death.” That is completely UNTRUE. Forry has increasing difficulty swallowing. He chokes when he tries to eat or drink anything. Still, he’s requesting Ensure and lots of water and doing his best to get it down.

Let me make this absolutely clear. Forry is not willing to hurt himself to make a quick exit. He’s just unwilling or desiring to get better. He’s made the choice to bide his time until he goes to sleep and doesn’t wake up. He’s not ill with infection anymore but he has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure which is in early stages. His body is weakening and he doesn’t walk anymore.

For everyone’s peace of mind, please don’t give weight to reports from others who may pop in and visit Forry only periodically. I am at his side (along with caregiver Dolly, close pal Pam Keesey and Earl) every day from the moment he wakes up until the moment he goes to bed. All of us who are caring for him are trying to get him to hang around as long as possible without disobeying his wishes for no medical intervention. I look upon every day we have with Forry as an opportunity for more fans and friends to express their appreciation and love for him. Love, Joe

And on November 12, the LASFS website relayed an additional update from Joe Moe:

Following a long depressing haul, there is some good news.

All of your cards, letters and well-wishes have really caused Forry to rally! The torrent of love flooding the Ackerminimansion has encouraged Forry to fight for his life.

I can’t predict how much longer we’ll have him around. A day? A week? A month? Who knows? But I can tell you we’re taking full advantage of this upturn to really encourage Forry to get stronger and hang around a while more. I am actually feeling hopeful he’ll make it to his 92nd birthday on November 24th.

Please pass this message on and let everyone know that their tributes, stories and prayers have had a miraculous effect on Forry. We should all continue to support him (and each other) and enjoy his presence as long as we are able. Thank you all so much!

Le Guin Donation Helps Endeavour Award Auction

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James Fiscus, chair of the Endeavour Award, will be raising money through an online auction of two figurines donated by Ursula K. Le Guin:

A while ago, Ursula Le Guin donated two figurines to us that she was given by Hayao Miyazaki. They are of a Gardener from Island in the Sky and the Castle from Howl’s Moving Castle. We’re going to auction them on e-Bay, with the auction starting on November 21. There’s full information about both the Award and the figures on our Web site: www.osfci.org/endeavour.

The full press release appears after the jump.

Continue reading →

Blogging the Muse Interviews Hamit

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Francis Hamit lit up the scoreboard in his interview at Blogging the Muse:

TH: What is it about the Civil War period that draws you?

FH: Originally I was simply interested in telling Belle Boyd’s story, but there are a lot of layers in that era that haven’t been much used. Most writers of historical fiction take the safe route of writing fictitious characters in major events. Gettysburg or Shiloh. There is so much more out there and all sorts of really fascinating people whose stories haven’t really been told. By using real people and real events I bought myself a big research job and I suspect that there are some who will disagree with my creative choices. The facts are pretty much the same. What people did and why is always open to interpretation. In researching Belle’s story I found the beginnings of the feminist movement, the incredible bravery of the operators of the Underground Railroad, some really unique and unusual popular culture, and the first war where changing technologies like the railroad and the telegraph affected the outcome. I write about soldiers and spies and the like. So this mega novel, of which there are at least four more parts, is a faux history of the Confederate Secret Service, for which few records and memoirs survive. Complicating that is the distortions of later male historians and moralists who denied or distorted what was done by the women like Belle. Even though this is fiction, I’m trying to set the record straight in some degree.

Elliot Shorter’s New Location

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Elliot Shorter has been moved to a new facility.

“Elliot is doing very well.  He is working hard during physical therapy, eating well, voted through a mail-in ballot and is in good spirits. An important update is in need though. El has done so well he was deemed ready for placement in a long term care facility. We were hoping a bed would come available at Oak Hill but this did not happen. The first opening came at a very nice facility in East Providence and that is where he transferred today. El placed himself on the waiting list to return to Oak Hill if possible. The new facility is nice, he has a private room. There is going to be some getting used to this change. The address for the new home is: HARRIS HEALTH CENTER, 833 BROADWAY, EAST PROVIDENCE, RI 02914. He is in room 25….”

There is another new post at the Master-El LJ, too.

[Thanks to David Klaus and Andrew Porter for the story.]

Naha Flees Montecito Fire

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The wildfires in Montecito, California forced Ed Naha, a former Starlog editor, out of his house. An Associated Press story about evacuees quoted him:

Meanwhile, about 200 people spent the night at an evacuation center at a high school in nearby Goleta, but rest was out of the question for Ed Naha, a 58-year-old writer who lives in the hills above Santa Barbara.

“I don’t think we are going to have the house when we go back,” Naha said.

“We are used to seeing smoke because we do have fires up here, but I’ve never seen that reddish, hellish glow that close,” he said. “I was waiting for Dante and Virgil to show up.”

[Thanks to David Klaus for the story.]

Diana’s Notices

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Many thanks to Bruce Edwards for reminding the readers of his popular CS Lewis & Inklings Resource Blog that The Company They Keep, Diana’s book about the Inklings, is now in paperback:

Just in time for you to buy yourself the Christmas present you wanted last year, The Company They Keep, Diana Glyer’s magnificent work on the Inklings, has just been released in paperback.

The New Writer's Handbook Volume 2Also, Diana’s contribution to The New Writer’s Handbook Volume 2, published in August, was singled out for praise by blogger “Emily Veinglory”:

I particularly enjoyed Diana Glyer’s piece on the writing group Tolkein and CS Lewis were in with some information about the earlier drafts of Lord of the Rings. Several other essays gave me ideas I intend to try out. …

Week of the Quiet Sun

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I’ve got to travel for work several days this week, which is likely to keep me away from a keyboard most of the time until Friday.

Things have been a little quiet around here anyway because I am trying to complete the new issue of File 770 (the fanzine). I’ve already finished layouts for the articles by Chris Garcia, Taral, James Bacon, John Hertz and Francis Hamit.

Everything will be complete before Loscon, where I hope to see some of you.

New Forbidden: Not a Breath Mint,
Not a Candy Mint

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Slowly but surely we’re learning what the new Forbidden Planet project isn’t. It’s not a remake. And it isn’t a continuation, either, says J. Michael Straczynski. The writer has denied the recent Ain’t It Cool News report:

That report is totally incorrect. It’s not going to be retro, and it’s not going to be a continuation. When Altair 4 blows up, it blows up. I have, however, found a way to honro [sic] the original movie without in any way besmirching it in order to do this iteration. Once folks find out what we’re actually going to do, I think they’ll be most pleased.

[Thanks to R-Laurraine Tutihasi for the story]

Pournelle’s Job in the Obama Administration

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What a fascinating exercise in imagination is Victor Godinez’ speculation about the nation’s next Chief Technology Officer for the Dallas Morning News:

Or, if you want to cast an even wider net, consider serious science fiction writers like John Scalzi, Orson Scott Card or Jerry Pournelle, guys who think big, know how to communicate and are beholden to no one.

Why not pick all three? Then help balance the Federal budget by selling Vince McMahon the rights to broadcast their meetings?

[Via Chaos Manor mail.]