From RayBradbury.com…
It was an encounter with another magician that changed my life forever.
During the Labor Day week of 1932 a favorite uncle of mine died; his funeral was held on the Labor Day Saturday. If he hadn’t died that week, my life might not have changed because, returning from his funeral at noon on that Saturday, I saw carnival tent down by Lake Michigan. I knew that down there, by the lake, in his special tent, was a magician named Mr. Electrico.Mr. Electrico was a fantastic creator of marvels. He sat in his electric chair every night and was electrocuted in front of all the people, young and old, of Waukegan, Illinois. When the electricity surged through his body he raised a sword and knighted all the kids sitting in the front row below his platform. I had been to see Mr. Electrico the night before. When he reached me, he pointed his sword at my head and touched my brow. The electricity rushed down the sword, inside my skull, made my hair stand up and sparks fly out of my ears. He then shouted at me, “Live forever!”
I thought that was a wonderful idea, but how did you do it?
Ray Bradbury found the answer to his question through writing. Author of 27 novels and over 600 short stories, Ray Bradbury passed away on Tuesday, but thanks to his daily devotion to writing for the last 80 years, he will live on in our hearts and minds forever.
What’s your favorite Bradbury story?
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Photo credit: Alan Light
Sources: www.raybradbury.com and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bradbury
I’ve only read Fahrenheit 451, so it’s my favorite. Maybe I need to read some of his other works.
Fahrenheit 451 for sure! I definitely want to keep reading his works – such a great writer!