Subject: (urth) Memento Mori

From: Charles Gillingham <charlesgillingham at gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 05:25:11 +0000

I'm not a regular contributor here, I've made one post. But I would like to
be a full contributor. I understand how the subject of this post is
inappropriate, and for the most part everyone here has been for quite some
time, and understand each others sensitivities.

I'm very offended by this post, concerned with Wolfe's age and/or health.
And starting off with "get autographs while you can" is absurd. Anyone that
reads Wolfe knows it was a changing point in their life. Lets show more
respect for Wolfe, who's changed each of our lives so much. Whether or not
he reads this list doesn't matter.

Certainly, we should be mature about the realities of mortality. Wolfe's
life is his own, and that of his God. We profit off his work, not his
personal life. I wish he has a long and healthy. But for his own enjoyment,
not so I can get an autograph or send fan mail.

If I interpreted the meaning or tone of the first post I'm sorry. Either
way, should we really use this list to gossip about Wolfe?

Charles Gillingham
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.urth.net/pipermail/urth-urth.net/attachments/20140713/a7366209/attachment.htm>

---

From: Gerry Quinn <gerry at bindweed.com>
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 11:01:39 +0000

On 14/07/2014 06:25, Charles Gillingham wrote:
> I'm not a regular contributor here, I've made one post. But I would 
> like to be a full contributor. I understand how the subject of this 
> post is inappropriate, and for the most part everyone here has been 
> for quite some time, and understand each others sensitivities.
>
> I'm very offended by this post, concerned with Wolfe's age and/or 
> health. And starting off with "get autographs while you can" is 
> absurd. Anyone that reads Wolfe knows it was a changing point in their 
> life. Lets show more respect for Wolfe, who's changed each of our 
> lives so much. Whether or not he reads this list doesn't matter.
>
> Certainly, we should be mature about the realities of mortality. 
> Wolfe's life is his own, and that of his God. We profit off his work, 
> not his personal life. I wish he has a long and healthy. But for his 
> own enjoyment, not so I can get an autograph or send fan mail.
>
> If I interpreted the meaning or tone of the first post I'm sorry. 
> Either way, should we really use this list to gossip about Wolfe?

Everybody on the list is interested in discussing the work, and many are 
fans as well.  Perhaps this thread is a case of well-intended 
fannishness overstepping the mark - it will happen now and again 
anywhere there are fans.  I guess a 'slow down' reminder does no harm, 
but I am also certain all the intentions involved were good.

Sometimes elements of an author's life will be relevant to the work 
(here one must decide how personal and how relevant the individual 
matters are, and not everyone will come to the same decision every 
time), but you are quite right in that this is not such a case,

- Gerry Quinn

---

From: Gwern Branwen <gwern at gwern.net>
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 15:17:03 +0000

On Mon, Jul 14, 2014 at 1:25 AM, Charles Gillingham
> way, should we really use this list to gossip about Wolfe?

I don't recognize any actual argument in your email. All I see is
venting about how 'offended' you are. So what.

Why is it off-limits to discuss Wolfe's impending death? That is of
serious concern to a mailing list devoted to Wolfe's work: it means no
more novels, no more short stories, no more interviews or
clarifications of mistakes, no more conventions, it means anyone who
wished to meet Wolfe or get his autograph - and why are you so
contemptuous of autographs, anyway? some people really like
autographs! - and so it is a useful service to a lot of people who
don't realize the odds are *really high* and *getting higher every
year* (counterintuitive & little appreciated by young people who have
never looked at life tables or read up on aging) to alert them of
these facts. These concerns are part of why Wolfe has been getting
accolades the past few years, even though most of his recent work like
_An Evil Guest_ hasn't really amazed the mailing list - the higherups
realize that if they want to honor Wolfe while it'll be most
meaningful, they had better do so as soon as they can arrange it.

Interaction with authors has always been a key part of SF fandom; for
example, didn't you read Marc's emails in this very thread? Why do you
think Wolfe goes to conventions in the first place? Why do conventions
exist? Because a lot of people do not seem to share your views that
authors are demigods best embalmed and up on a shelf.

-- 
gwern
http://www.gwern.net