Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Fahrenheit 451 Author, Ray Bradbury Has Died

Ray and wife Margurite, or "Maggie," at their home in 1970 via

From the Ray Bradbury website:

JUNE 6, 2012

Ray Bradbury, recipient of the 2000 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, the 2004 National Medal of Arts, and the 2007 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, died on June 5, 2012, at the age of 91 after a long illness. He lived in Los Angeles.

In a career spanning more than seventy years, Ray Bradbury has inspired generations of readers to dream, think, and create. A prolific author of hundreds of short stories and close to fifty books, as well as numerous poems, essays, operas, plays, teleplays, and screenplays, Bradbury was one of the most celebrated writers of our time. His groundbreaking works include Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. He wrote the screen play for John Huston's classic film adaptation of Moby Dick, and was nominated for an Academy Award. He adapted sixty-five of his stories for television's The Ray Bradbury Theater, and won an Emmy for his teleplay of The Halloween Tree. In 2005, Bradbury published a book of essays titled Bradbury Speaks, in which he wrote: In my later years I have looked in the mirror each day and found a happy person staring back. Occasionally I wonder why I can be so happy. The answer is that every day of my life I've worked only for myself and for the joy that comes from writing and creating. The image in my mirror is not optimistic, but the result of optimal behavior.

He is survived by his four daughters, Susan Nixon, Ramona Ostergren, Bettina Karapetian, and Alexandra Bradbury, and eight grandchildren. His wife, Marguerite, predeceased him in 2003, after fifty-seven years of marriage.

Throughout his life, Bradbury liked to recount the story of meeting a carnival magician, Mr. Electrico, in 1932. At the end of his performance Electrico reached out to the twelve-year-old Bradbury, touched the boy with his sword, and commanded, Live forever! Bradbury later said, I decided that was the greatest idea I had ever heard. I started writing every day. I never stopped.

RIP Mr. Bradbury. My sincerest condolences go out to his family.

Angela



8 comments:

  1. Wow. I've been meaning to read Fahrenheit 451... Seems a lot of ground-breaking authors are hitting the end of the road recently...

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  2. It's ironic, too, that I have Bradbury's 451 and The Martian Chronicles on my Classic Club list as rereads. He's been such a mentor to me all through my writing life. I met him about 6-7 years ago and do you know the guy still sent and received his own faxes? Amazing. Such a grounded, kind, quirky, brilliant guy. Nice--and quick--remembrance.

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    1. Oh how great that you got to meet him! My daughter just read Fahrenheit 451 for school. I had to share your comment with her :)

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  3. I remember reading Fahrenheit 451 in high school and thinking it was fascinating. I have been planning to go back and reread it- and I think I will move it up my list. Sorry to hear about his passing- and glad that he lived a long life and we all get to share his writing. :)

    ~Jess

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    1. Me too Jess. Thank goodness he will live on through his masterful writing.

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  4. Thank you for sharing your thoughts - I was also saddened by his passing! I shared a link to this on my blog tonight: http://authorjess.blogspot.com/2012/06/whats-up-wednesday-summer-giveaways.html

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