Bradbury
It was, literally, dirty work. I never went down there, but they were forever covered with dirt, and I’m sure there were insects and rodents scurrying around, and I was very grateful when, in the fullness of time, they put me on the OK list and I started to get significant quantities of very interesting material.
You may think that I digress unnecessarily, but not so. For on the morning after the Bradbury movie was broadcast, I went to the bar near the Archives, and a bunch of schleppers were there, and they were talking about Fahrenheit 451. And they weren’t bemoaning the evil of book-burning. Quite the opposite. They loved it. “Did you see those beautiful bonfires?” one of them said, and they all laughed happily, clearly sharing the happy thought of some avenging demon burning all those filthy documents they schlepped upstairs to the likes of me.
I’m sure Bradbury would have had a happy laugh at that. He had a wonderfully supple mind, one of the most playful and elegant minds in a country that excels at such minds, and he’d have delighted at the thought that his story about evil was nonetheless capable of bringing a happy thought to Italian workers who labored in a sea of dirty documents.
He lived 91 years, and he was one of the few heroes of my youth who actually exceeded my hopes for him. What a guy!
What less would one expect from ‘the twentieth century Jules Verne with a wicked sense of humour’?
Tehran’s blood drinkers regime, must be defeated by any means and anyhow and any price mullah’s will pay. This regime is the most dangerous evil for entire world and especially Saudi Arabia. Revolutionary Guards, targets the oil refinery infrastructures Saudi’s for destruction. Massacre in Syria, do not forget it, women and babies. Blood, Blood, common people are bleeding. Where are the Arabian heroes? Where are the Arabian fighters? Do not let the mullah’s agents kill the Syria’s nation.
Assad is not a lion; he is a blood thirsty virus who the Arabian lions must burn him, as the same he burned the innocent newly born babies.
Where you are Arabs? Arab children and Arab mothers are dying by mullahs and Bashar killers. Attack to this blood drinkers.
I knew it! The Iranians and their filthy Syrian puppet-dogs killed Ray Bradbury! They must be stopped!
Um! I think your post belongs in another PJ column!
– a very nice man.
p.s. Michael, did you work for the Italian State Archives?
no, i was doing research for my doctoral dissertation at the time, and I did more research there over the years.
Michael, how does your tribute to Ray Bradbury compare to the tributes offered to C.S. Lewis? For C.S. Lewis died the same day as JFK, and frankly if there is justice, there is more to a person than the posthumous honours they receive.
Also, I am thinking that the passing of C.S. Lewis was overshadowed overly much by the events in Dallas that day.
Thanks for the remembrance. Reagan once said we are only limited by our imaginations. It sounds like Bradbury had the same insight or perhaps Reagan got it from him. Either way, I think that idea and their belief in it is something that we should always remember. It is what we need now.
I have a doubt with Mr.Lincoln comment on the C.S.Lewis died at the same day of JFK.I remember was Aldous Huxley,but maybe the two.
Anyway I love Bradbury tales and I have all the books translated in spanish.