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