5HC a good introduction to wolfe? (was Washington Post article)

Jason Voegele · 17 Apr 2002, 15:18 · from urth-v0204.mbox · original

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From: "Jason Voegele" <jason at jvoegele.com>
Subject: RE: (urth) 5HC a good introduction to wolfe? (was Washington  Post article)
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2002 11:18:56 -0400 (EDT)
Message-ID: <urth-v0204-642 at digest.urth.net>
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>      If Wolfe is going to suggest that the main character of "5HC"
> is himself, I think it's all right for me to continue the discussion of
> his personality.  In his interviews he strikes me as rather
> arrogant (of course he has a very big lot to be proud of), and
>someone on rasfw called him "nasty", "rude", and "a prick" after
>seeing him on a panel; that's consistent with arrogance.

FWIW, when I met Wolfe he seemed a very kind and friendly man.  I was at a=20
convention and just happened to be standing near by when he signed in (he=20
was guest of honor).  He introduced himself to me and we talked for a few=20
moments, and when it became clear to him that I would not be able to make=20
the book signing that was being held later that day, he sat down with me,=20
signed my books, and we talked for maybe ten minutes.  David Brin was also=20
at the convention and I had a copy of STARTIDE RISING for him to sign. =20
Wolfe offered to sign that one as well, claiming that he "knew how to=20
spell 'Brin'".  He was very polite and had a richly subtle sense of humor.

That said, given an incident at that same convention when David Brin was=20
speaking on a panel discussion, you might also make the claim that he is=20
quite arrogant, although I'd say rather that he is firm in his convictions=20
and outspoken in his opinion.  I sat next to Wolfe during a panel=20
discussion on which Brin was speaking (Wolfe was not part of the panel,=20
just in the audience).  Brin was stating something to the effect=20
of "sitting around watching television all day isn't such a bad thing. =20
It's certainly better than what we did a few hundred years ago, sitting=20
around staring at a fire."

Wolfe took strong objection to this, and shouted, interrupting Brin,=20
something along the lines of "Anybody who believes that is living in a=20
dream land."  Brin retorted, essentially saying the same thing he did=20
before, that sitting around watching television as so many people do now is=20
a better thing than what people did in the past, sitting around staring at=20
a fire.  Wolfe's final comment was "sitting around the fire, *talking*". =20
After a few moments, he and his wife stood up and left the room.

Perhaps this was the same panel discussion that the r.a.sf.w poster=20
witnessed.  I was surprised when Wolfe had interrupted Brin's speech, but I=20
can't say I disagreed with him.  Whether you'd call this arrogant, I don't=20
know, but maybe it shows the two sides of Wolfe's personality (Silkhorn may=20
be more real than we know).  I certainly can't agree that he's "nasty,=20
rude, and a prick."  I'd invite him to dinner any time.

Anyway, I'm feeling guilty now about treading into Wolfe's personal life,=20
so I'll stop.

Jason Voegele

--=20

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