In Memoriam

Our place for remembering those whose lives have touched us, especially those whose writing has impacted us.

Campaigning journalist John Pilger who I remember most for his brilliant and incendiary reporting about Cambodia has died.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-67853392

Agreed with a lot but not everything he wrote but I will miss looking out for what cause he was following.

>2 PaulCranswick: I was very sad to read that Paul, but he made a fair age.

I heard him speak maybe 12 years ago, and he said that he wouldn't have been able to work the way he had (ie with such high standards of checking) had the digital age existed during the peak of his career. It took too long to get in the car and witness yourself. Everyone is after the scoop. There are still some fine journalists (Lyse Doucet/Jeremy Bowen/John Simpson and others), but few who can match Pilger.

Actress Glynis Johns

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/jan/04/glynis-johns-dead-mrs-banks-marry-p...

>4 amanda4242: Oh, that is too sad. I loved her in Mary Poppins: "Votes for Women!"

>4 amanda4242: Wow...100 years old. This is one of those times when I say, "Oh, I didn't know she was still alive." She was wonderful.

Fred Chappell, he of Farewell, I'm Bound to Leave You and Brighten the Corner Where You Are, has died. He was 87.

Summer of '42's author, Herman Raucher, has died...back in December, he was 95!

From the NYTimes: “Peter Schickele composed symphonies, film scores and musical numbers for Broadway. To his resigned chagrin, he was best known as a musical parodist, the supposed discoverer of the fictional P.D.Q. Bach. Schickele died at 88.” https://nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/jW6ApGRwSu_gFQukq3S1_Q~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRnjOQ3P0...

>9 klobrien2: Oh, Peter Shickele made us laugh so much back in the day.

>10 laytonwoman3rd: Yes, he certainly did...honestly I thought he was already dead, but that does not change my sense of loss.

>9 klobrien2: Oh, no, I hate to hear that news! My DH in particular really enjoyed him.

Sad to learn that Melanie has died.
One of the indelible voices of my youth.

>13 laytonwoman3rd: I just heard this on the radio, and am sad too. I was only just born at the end of the 1960s and she was one of many musicians whose work I started to catch up with as a student in the late 80s and afterwards.

oh my that is sad news. Used to sing her roller skate song walking to school (sans skates) I did not realize that she appeared at woodstock, and how much music she left us. Also didnt realize that I have none of her music, something I need to rectify, Also notice her children are also muscians and artists. the song by Jackson Brown comes to mind :Untill a dancer you have grown from somebodys seeds have thrown; go ahead and throw some seeds of your own, and maybe between the time you arrive and the time you go, they may blossom into life but you;ll never know"

Sad to see that M. Scott Momaday has left us.

>16 laytonwoman3rd: That is sad. I have only read one of his books (and that was years ago!). I need to read more of his books.

Vale Christopher Priest. He has died at eighty years old: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Priest_(novelist)

Ellen Gilchrist has died at 88. I read some of her stories and novels in the 1990s (too long ago to remember which ones I actually read). Have been meaning to read/reread the books I have by her (at least those I can find) for a while.

>19 elkiedee: I saw that today, Luci. It is amazing that she wrote so prolifically so late into her life.

Profoundly sad to say goodbye to Seiji Ozawa.

>21 laytonwoman3rd: This makes me a little sad. The first time I went to the symphony as an adult (and only the 2nd time) was when I was working in San Francisco and got a cheap seat sort of ticket to the SF Symphony with Ozawa conducting. This was probably 1976, maybe 75. I can remember where I sat on the far right but just about nothing about the performance other than Ozawa being quite active. Having no experience with the symphony I did not realize until later in life how unique he was.

>21 laytonwoman3rd: aw. In the summer of 1983 I was living in Connecticut, had a brand new baby. My mother ordered tickets for Tanglewood, and the three of us went. It was lovely, the green lawns, the trees. We were going to just sit on "the lawn", but my mom upgraded our tickets, so we sat in the shelter. When my son was fussy I surreptitiously fed him. It was a lovely experience.

And, yes, Seiji Ozawa was conducting.

>21 laytonwoman3rd: Thank you for sharing. One of the most interesting books on music that I have read in recent years is Absolutely On Music: Conversations with Seiji Ozawa by Haruki Murakami and Seiji Ozawa. Their discussions range from performance, recordings (both classical and jazz) and the role of the artist.

>24 kac522: My husband has read Absolutely on Music, and shared portions of it with me. Fascinating.

>22 RBeffa: Similar enjoyment of Seiji Ozawa, only in Chicago.

As my Mom and I were on our way to the Opera House, Mr. Ozawa's driver pulled up next to us to ask for directions!

Norman jewison https://www.npr.org/2024/01/22/523024777/norman-jewison-dead-fiddler-on-the-roof...

>26 m.belljackson: That is a great memory Marianne!

Steve Miller of Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, authors of the Liaden Universe books has died.

>29 quondame: I just read Sharon's post. Such a shock!

>30 ronincats: Do you have a link to her post?

>31 SilverWolf28: Here's a link to her Facebook page. The specific post is two days old; just scroll down. She's keeping us up to date.

https://www.facebook.com/rolanni

>32 ronincats: Thanks

I saw this on the Kirkus website today that children's author Kate Banks has passed away: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/childrens-author-kate-b...

She was only 64 years old. Far too young. I remember reading some of her books to Beth and Catey when they were small.

>34 alcottacre: wow, my age.

I'll look for her books.

>35 fuzzi: Yeah, I was thinking pretty much the same thing. I will be 62 in a couple of weeks, so she was not that much older than I am.

Science fiction author Brian Stableford has died.

https://locusmag.com/2024/02/brian-stableford-1948-2024/

>37 swynn: Thanks for that Steve. I've read some of his shorter work over the years. He was quite prolific. But I don't think I'd put myself down as a fan. I'll pull out some of his work and read a bit in his memory soon. I note that I have a lot of magazines with his stories in it.

>38 RBeffa: I knew him mostly from his Star Pilot Grainger / Hooded Swan books, which I read for the DAW challenge. I liked those books a lot.

I just discovered the "Obituaries" section on Locus Online, and wow we've lost some great authors already this year and I'd missed the notices.

Science fiction and fantasy author Terry Bisson died in early January. He was another very prolific author whose work I know less well than I wish I did, but if you'd like to read something in his honor, I can't recommend "Bears Discover Fire" enough.

Obituary at Locus Online.

Science fiction author Tom Purdom also died in January. I knew him mostly from his stories in Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, which struck me as the sort of solid hard-science stories that the mag's namesake would have enjoyed. "We all lose if they take Mizuba" sticks in memory.

Obituary at Locus Online.

Science fiction author Howard Waldrop passed on January 14, the same day at Tom Purdom. He is another author whose work I don't know as well as I feel I should. The obituary notes that his most famous story is "The Ugly Chickens," which won both the Nebula and World Fantasy awards.

Obituary at Locus Online.

Brian Lumley, y'all. Dang.

I remember discovering Lumley's Necroscope series in high school, with the vampire-skull covers that grew more bizarre with each volume. (My parents disapproved, which made them even better.) For me, the series went off the rails eventually but those first few were pure magic.

Obituary at Locus Online.

>40 swynn: Bears Discover Fire is one of my favorite short stories ever. I've probably read it ten times over the years. Sad to see Terry Bisson has left us.
>42 swynn: I read most of these authors in Asimov's. The Ugly Chickens was a cute one.

>43 swynn: Brian Lumley was mentioned in LT's February State of the Thing:
https://www.librarything.com/readmessage.php?msgID=f4ccf5c2b0ecfbb358e81672dfe65...

>45 kac522: Thanks, Kathy, I had missed that. The story linked from that page is a good overview, and calls my attention to some of the latter Necroscope books I never got to. A Necroscope read-through is not something I need right now, and yet ...

Frans de Waal primatologist and writer died last Thursday.
https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2024/03/16/de-man-die-mens-en-aap-dichter-bij-elkaar-b... (Dutch)

>47 FAMeulstee: Sad.

>47 FAMeulstee: Sorry to hear about that. I very much enjoyed Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? last year after you recommended his work, Anita.

>13 laytonwoman3rd: so sad about Melanie's death. When a teenager, I was one of her fans!

Sad to hear of Steve Harley’s death. 70s is too early:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-68590846

>51 Caroline_McElwee: I wouldn't know of him at all except for my love for the soundtrack of The Full Monty. In my top 10 if not my top 5.

Malachy McCourt passed on March 11 at 92 years.

>53 RBeffa: I met Malachy McCourt briefly at a Kerry/Edwards rally in Scranton 20 years ago. (My one and only foray into the political "milieu"--the back door of our office building opened onto the street where the speakers' platform was set up.) He was quite the gentleman, and signed my entrance ticket. I believe he may have been friends with the late Jason Miller, who lived around the corner at the time, on a street which is now named for Joe Biden.

>54 laytonwoman3rd: Little things like that make life an interesting journey.

>55 RBeffa: It was very interesting, Ron...McCourt was standing behind me in the crowd, making comments in his Irish brogue---you couldn't help engaging with him. He may have taken a wee drop of something...

3 time Hugo winning author Vernor Vinge has passed at the age of 79

https://boingboing.net/2024/03/21/hard-sf-master-vernor-vinge-dead-at-79.html

I've never actually read any of his stuff, but I got A Fire Upon the Deep from Jim in last years Christmas Swap. I think I might have to move it up to the top of the read list.

>57 mahsdad: I just put in a hold request at the local public library.

Fantasy and horror author James A. Moore passed away on March 27.

Another fine writer departs:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/apr/02/maryse-conde-guadelopean-grand-sto...

Author and storyteller Laurent de Brunhoff passed away at the age of 98 on March 22nd

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/24/laurent-de-brunhoff-author-of-ba...

John Barth has died. He was 93.

Oh, gosh...John Barth. Haven't thought of him since he was "current" in my college days. I have to agree with John Gardner I'm afraid, that he was a bit too gimmicky and clever. Interesting that LT recommends him to me based on the Gardner books in my catalog!

>63 laytonwoman3rd: I still like The Sot-Weed Factor but Giles Goat-boy is waaay too arch and precious for sixty+ me. The Floating Opera is one I'll need to revisit one day soon in his memory.

Now it's Lynne Reid Banks, dead at ninety-four!

Apparently poor Christopher Durang of Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You fame finally succumbed to his terrible variant of early-onset dementia. He was only 75.

>65 richardderus: I'm sad about this one, and that I didn't realise that she was actively posting online into her 90s.

>67 elkiedee: She was an amazing person, wasn't she Luci?

Oh my. I'd wear a black armband for both Vernor Vinge and John Barth. I haven't read either in years, but I was devoted to them years ago.

Barth, Banks and Conde - this hasn't been the best of months.

>65 richardderus: I read much of her work in my 20s/30s, but getting to her 90s isn't bad going.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54117688

>65 richardderus: another author I've not read, yet...

Robert Macneil, writer, broadcaster, journalist:

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/entertainment/tv/robert-macneil-creator-and-first-anch...

I remember reading his book, Wordstruck and loving it. I know I also had a copy of his novel Burden of Desire at some point but can't remember if I read it or not.

>73 jessibud2: PBS Newshour did a wonderful tribute tonight to MacNeil:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/robert-macneils-colleagues-and-friends-remembe...

>74 kac522: - Thanks for that link, Kathy. Funny, I never heard him called *Robin*...

>75 jessibud2: Glad you enjoyed it. I've been watching the NewsHour since the MacNeil Lehrer years, so I did know he was called Robin. But I didn't realize he was from Canada!

I knew he was Canadian but never watched his program!

Watched McNeil and Lehrer for many years!

Faith Ringgold has died. Beautiful quilter and story teller, Tar Baby is one of her best known picture books.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/13/arts/faith-ringgold-dead.html?unlocked_articl...

>78 ronincats: Really sad to learn about Ringgold's passing.

Now it's Dennis Covington, author of Salvation on Sand Mountain. He was a mere 75 years old.

>73 jessibud2: wow. Good, long life.

I remember watching MacNeil/Lehrer news hour as a teen. And I adored his television series and book The Story of English.

A major influence on my lifelong journey away from gawd, Daniel C. Dennett, has died. His outspoken, rational atheism has inspired me for decades. Possibly the most influential of his books for me was Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon. He was 82. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Dennett

I missed this back in December but Sherryl Jordan, children & YA writer died aged 74.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/books/18-01-2024/celebrating-sherryl-jordan-author-of-t...
'Sherryl Jordan published over 30 books for children and young adults in her career. Many of those stories held in passionate esteem by a swath of millennial readers, and beyond, for whom Jordan’s rich world-building, striking characters and moreish romance offered immersive, intense and enriching new experiences.'

>82 avatiakh: That is too bad. I own several of her books. Thanks for the mention, Kerry.

>83 alcottacre: I've read most of her books and enjoyed every one.

...and just today New Zealand poet and writer Vincent O'Sullivan has passed at age 86 yrs.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/515441/i-was-in-awe-of-him-poet-sir-vincent-...

He wrote several novels and I've read Let the River Stand and have his All this by Chance (2018) on my shelves.

Sad news here today that C J Sansom, author of historical novels including the Shardlake series, has died (on Saturday 27 April) at 71. I was aware that he'd been seriously ill for a long time.

>85 avatiakh: Vincent O'Sullivan also edited the 5 volumes of Katherine Mansfield's Collected Letters. I have a volume of Selected Letters which he apparently edited, and a copy of Let the River Stand (which I think came from my grandparents' house - my mum's parents were New Zealanders who settled in Oxford and worked for OUP after the Second World War).

>87 elkiedee: Yes, I was reading about him today and he was a professor of literature and an expert on Mansfield. I really liked Let the river stand though it's been a few years since I read it.

>86 elkiedee: ...and JUST on the cusp of the Shardlake TV series premiering.

>87 elkiedee: So *that's* where I know the name from! Oh my...I have one volume of the letters.

>85 avatiakh: I am not familiar with his work at all. I will have to see if I can find anything here by him.

>86 elkiedee: I have read several of his books. Sad news indeed.

>86 elkiedee: Oh NO. He's one whom I could wear a black arm band for. I'm sorry indeed.

Paul Auster has died at age 77. He was diagnosed with lung cancer at the end of 2022.

>92 PawsforThought: Very sad.

I tried many of his books, but mosts I found impenitrable. However book of illusions and timbuktu were excellent; He lived a long good life, may his name be for a blessing

Paul Auster I always found a difficult read but the body of his work is mightily impressive.

I also so that the Titan of Twang, Duane Eddy has just passed away.

Writers on Paul Auster:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/may/01/a-literary-voice-for-the-ages-paul...

I've personally never got around to reading any works by Auster though it's been on my list for ages. I bought a paperback copy of The New York Trilogy ages ago, intending to read it on vacation which didn't happen because my time was filled up. It's still waiting for me. I've been a little intimidated by his works to really start, though I've seen a couple of interviews with him and thought he seemed really interesting.

>43 swynn: I was crushed by the loss of Mr. Lumley. I have everything he ever published. There are some really cool series in his catalogue. He was such a voice in the weird fiction world. His Vampires are the most unrepentantly evil creatures ever. The Titus Crow Series is fantastic. Cleaner and not as gory but no less strange. To create a hero part Dr. Who, Sherlock Holmes and Flash Gordon tossed into the Lovecraft world is a tall order and to have it work so well is masterful. He will be missed.

Ian Gelder, the British actor who capped his half-century career by appearing in the hit series “Game of Thrones” as Kevan Lannister, brother of feared patriarch Tywin Lannister, died Monday. He was 74.

Roger Corman died on Thursday.

https://www.npr.org/2024/05/12/521916134/roger-corman-the-b-movie-legend-who-lau...

>100 amanda4242: Ninety-eight! What a life!

Alice Munro, Nobel Laureate and Master of the Short Story, Dies at 92
This should be a paywall-free link:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/14/books/alice-munro-dead.html?unlocked_article_...

>102 lauralkeet: - I was just going to post this news, as well. Here is a link to The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/may/14/alice-munro-nobel-winner-a...

>102 lauralkeet: Not my own most-favorite short story writer, but a giant in the field. RIP.