Today is the 86th birthday of my dear friend--- Ray Bradbury
And this is his advice for living:
"First you jump off the cliff and you build your wings on the way down."
Check out my Ex Libris blog, where I've written about Ray's novel Something Wicked This Way Comes.
3 comments:
I don't know whether I would be brave enough to build those wingst which is probably why I have never written 'Something Wicked' 'The Martian Chronicles' or 'Farenheit 451' Bradbury is one of the few writers who has managed to defy time - not only in reaching 86 but also in being able to live in all parts of his memory similtaneously and with equal comfort. What a gift for a writer - to tap into being any age and relive any experience. By following the road where it has been, he also seems to have an uncanny knack of being able to work out from that where it will go next. Look at his vision of people walking round with earpieces in their ears for entertainment, of interactive television, of broadcasts interupted to follow the live pursuit of criminals etc etc. These things all happened exactly the way he said.If you add to this an ability to understand the human condition with all its joys, loves and faults and inject those feelings accurately into his characters, you end up with a writer that not only entertains but maps out the way forward for the sorry but glorious species that is man.
I've always had problems with that quotation, not being the reckless type myself. I'm happy to follow Bray's advice, but let me strap on my parachute first. Just in case.
Fans are leaving birthday greetings for Ray over on his official message board:
http://raybradburyboard.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=8881014801&f=6791083901&m=4421014642&r=6161026642#6161026642
I wish I had followed Ray's advice before I became too feeble to crawl to the edge of the cliff.
Throw me over, PLEASE! I believe I could work better without the bounds of earth, maybe on some wings.
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