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Life & Events > Goodbye Arthur C. Clarke
 

Goodbye Arthur C. Clarke


Arthur C. Clarke, who wrote the Kubrick film, “Space Odyssey –2001”, died at the age of 90, a day or so ago in Sri Lanka where he made his home for many years. Below is a photo snapped at a “meeting” of the Hydra Club (really, just a social- get-together every month for sci fi professionals) sometime in the 60s. Mostly what they talked about was who was paying the best word rate and who might be having illicit sexual relations with you-know-who. That is me (having a bad hair day) next to Arthur, who was looking elsewhere. On my left side is James Blish, another sci fi writer of the time.



I am thinking most are all gone now.

During my years with Jay, my late first husband, I tagged along to these events. Jay was friends with Arthur and whenever Arthur came to New York, we would have dinner. I would sit at the table and listen to them pull apart and analyze whatever they were talking about. Arthur, to my memory, rarely spoke to me. He was just not comfortable with women, and particularly not with any who were not on his level intellectually. I was a young thing then, an empty-headed little 20-something, one might say, except I had the inborn good sense to just shut up and listen. None of them thought much of me because they couldn't see inside my head and thought Jay had married me to regain lost youth.

Arthur was a social recluse except where men and intellect were concerned. He married briefly, in the 70s, I think. We were all astonished. He was, it was reported, euphoric. However, within a very short time (it seemed like minutes), he came back to his own reality and separated from his bride, devastated with the experience. I have no idea what spooked him so.

Whenever Arthur was in New York he stayed at the Chelsea Hotel at 7th Avenue and 23rd Street. The hotel, in a semi-seedy part of town is a historic landmark and many famous people stay there, sort of a retro hangout. One night Arthur just had to show Jay an electronic piece of equipment, I think he called it a Quasar, so we went up there and they hovered over the machine and I looked on, not knowing what they were talking about. Anyway that was mostly my life when I was still unformed and had big eyes and a wise and protective husband 21 years older and kind beyond belief.

So goodbye, Arthur, I hardly knew ye.

xx, Teal



posted on Mar 20, 2008 5:57 AM ()

Comments:

Too bad you cannot roll back into time and tell James Blish a story he might enjoy. I am a sci-fi nut. (Surprised?) At any rate, when I was married in 1980, we needed a bible for a photo during the ceremony. All of my books were upstairs except for a copy of "Cities in Flight" by Blish which had one of those black cloth covers on it like folks sometimes use to hide covers when reading books in public places. Well, that book was near by, so we grabbed that! Married holding a copy of a sci-fi book- maybe that explains why that whole marriage resembled the Twilight Zone!
comment by dragonflyby on Apr 1, 2008 6:26 AM ()
Hi teal; I enjoyed this blog so so much, and envy your acquaintance
with Clarke. What a photo! He looks so austere. You look so cute--
cute as a button--Holly Golightly Audrey Hepburn cute! I wonder if
Clarke was gay? And I've often wondered why he moved off to Sri Lanka
of all places. Just sorry he's gone now; one of the greats of the
sci-fi community.
comment by susil on Mar 25, 2008 10:30 AM ()
Oh how I envy your little bitty figure.
comment by elderjane on Mar 20, 2008 4:44 PM ()
I forgot to mention that you remind me of Audrey Hepburn.
comment by nittineedles on Mar 20, 2008 1:01 PM ()
You're sitting beside Arthur C. Clarke! WOW!
I recognize the name, James Blish, but I don't remember what he wrote.
comment by nittineedles on Mar 20, 2008 1:01 PM ()
I repeat: You were a real dish of visual Caviar! You probably turn heads to this day. I see ACC wasn't looking at you in the photo. He wasn't your 'type.'
comment by jondude on Mar 20, 2008 11:55 AM ()

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