In Memory of Ray Bradbury

Every year the literary world loses great authors, but somehow it seems unfairly cruel to lose both Maurice Sendak and Ray Bradbury so close to each other.

Both have been banned numerous times. Both are icons in their genres. Both will be deeply missed because their books were so deeply loved.

Books are precious to people because they become friends. Friends who cheer you, challenge you, and invite you into their worlds.

You don't want to see your friends hurt. That's why there should be outrage when a book is banned. That's why Fahrenheit 451 means so much to people, as a moral tale of it-could-happen-here, or as some people may think, it's-already-happening.

To take away books is to take away friends, good friends, best friends. The ebook revolution threatens some people who love the physical heft of a "real" book. I'm more pragmatic. It's not the format that matters, digital or paper. It's the content. It's the ideas and characters that make us want to be friends with a particular book.

So we appreciate the creators of books, our friends, and pay homage to them when they die.

Here's a video of Ray Bradbury talking about his writing journey: