We lost Ray Bradbury this week. It felt like a personal loss for me, and I know I’m not alone in that feeling because Ray touched us at that deep, personal level. His stories are compelling, but it was the human factor in each one, book or short story, that drew us to him. His ideas sparked our imaginations, startled our awareness, touched our hearts and made us think about what it really means to be a human being. He touched us, too, as a mentor/guide. (Read Neil Gaiman’s beautiful tribute to him as a writing mentor and inspiration.) He was so supportive and encouraging to those of us who study the craft of writing. He was so open and positive in sharing his passion for words with the world.

I look at his photo above and am reminded of my own father, also named Ray, who also had a shock of silver hair and deep intelligent eyes, and a love of writing… and I feel a “daughter’s” appreciation for Mr. Bradbury, (writer, teacher, caring human being) who taught us so much about life and work. We miss you, Ray.