In Memory of Tom Wiloch 1953-2008

[alanajoli]

The Now Is Fragile

There is no childhood, except in our memories, and
there is no super man, except in our dreams.
All is memory and imagination. We remember a past
now gone; we imagine a future we will never see.
The now is fragile.
We sit before a sheet of blank paper. We lift a pencil.
We charge this white pulp with meaning.

This poem is by Tom Wiloch, the person who trained me in my very first editorial job, taught me the value of using the Chicago Manual of Style judiciously, and was one of the two people to introduce me to Marvin's in West Bloomfield, MI. He passed away earlier this month, which I found out today from one of my editors who also previously worked with Tom. I didn't know until searching for his obituaries that he was such an accomplished writer.

The poem above I borrowed from an obituary written by Tom Ligotti's website. I hope neither Tom will mind.

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I am sorry you lost a friend.

[faerie-writer.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry about your friend, Alana.

(P.S. Our stories are up at CW!)

[faerie-writer.livejournal.com]

Alana, I just finished 'Nomi's Wish' and had to tell you how much I LOVED it! Wow, it was like an amazing tapestry of a story! You're not a storyteller. You're a story-weaver! :D

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Forgive me for leaving a comment about your beautiful story here, at an entry you've written about your friend's death?

Though maybe it works out okay, given how death was woven into your story...

I was so, so impressed by how you wove together the different times and different scenes, adding in new strands of information and bringing us right to the end, when at last we could see how it all fit together. That was just genius. And Nomi's deep understanding of wishes, and her ability to send one into the future was marvelous, and really touching.

Also, you made me Google the Chasms. Scary-beautiful.