Dorothy at rec.arts.sf.written at Google Groups asked:
I have been told Ray Bradbury was infamous around LASFS, in his early days, for his habit of giving people the hotfoot. Any old LASFSians know whether this is true?)

To which I replied:
I don't know, what is the hotfoot? Setting someone's shoe on fire or something?

Several people responded Yes, strange that this practice was so prevalent it had a name, but you had to make your own entertainment back then and this is one way computer games have improved the world.

You put the non-burning end of a wooden match under someone's shoe. You then light the burning end with another match. Then
you back off and wait for him to notice.

Kinda like what Hermione did to Snape, only not magical.

I wrote:
I know Forrest Ackerman or someone in the group said the callouses on their knees were all from throwing themselves down saying, "Thank God we didn't drown him." Evidently he was a rather obnoxious young lad.

Dorothy answered:
That is the impression I got, yes.

But I vasn't dere, Sharlie.

Anyone know whether this is true? I wonder if such primitive forms of entertainment still prevail in less technologically advanced societies.

Dandelion::

I belonged to LASFS during the early 1970's, and the talk then was that Ray was a prankster. Somewhat later, talking with Ed Hamilton, an old writer friend of Ray... he too mentioned that Ray was full of fun and games as a youngster.

Now if you know how to get a hold of Ray Harryhausen... he literally grew up with Ray and would surely know well all the facts. Then there is Forrest J. Ackerman, who introduced Ray Harryhausen to Bradbury....and has known both Rays for most of their lives. (This is getting complicated ...)....

Then there is Wilson Tucker, Science Fiction writer from way back in the '30's. who knew Ray. I was fortunate enough to meet Wilson Tucker 25 years ago, while he was passing around a bottle of 'smoooth' Jack Daniels... He was kind enough to give me a couple original photos of Ray as a young man. ( Here's his e-mail address: wilsonbob37@earthlink.net ) Of course, so many others have... gone to the great typewriter in the sky...



[This message has been edited by Nard Kordell (edited 01-22-2003).]

I haven't heard much about Ray's "adult" years - I use that term only as a reference to his age, since he's found some way to bottle that vivacity of youth - but I have heard about "hotfooting" in some older stories.

Dandelion, my brother just spent a couple of years in Chile. The children there all play with these oversized wooden tops. A length of twine is carefully wrapped around the top, which is about the size of an apple, with a nail driven through the middle. You then kind of whip the string, the top goes out on the ground and spins on the nail. Then other children do the same thing, trying to pierce the spinning top with the nails of their own tops. It gets quite heated, and apparently requires a lot of skill. He brought a very nice one back (unfortunately, I can't remember the name of these things), but the cheap ones that all the children have are a nickel or dime apiece. He says they are all perfectly happy with "primitive" forms of entertainment.

Makes you wonder if these complex video games or flashy movies are really all that necessary.

fascination, Yes Yes! More stories about twine!

quote:

Originally posted by embroiderer:
fascination, Yes Yes! More stories about twine!

How about Dandelion Twine? Or the original title of "Ylla" - "I'll Not Ask For Twine".

And then there's "I String the Body Electric!" and
"Come, and String Constance!"

Well then...

"S Is For String"
"R Is For Rope"
"Zen in the Art of Tying"
and, of course,
"The Toynbee Constrictor"

quote:

Originally posted by Nard Kordell:
Of course, so many others have gone to the great typewriter in the sky...

And now, so has Mr Tucker. He passed into Real Life on October 6th, 2006.

Rest in peace, Bob.

quote:

Originally posted by dandelion:
Forrest Ackerman or someone in the group said the callouses on their knees were all from throwing themselves down saying, "Thank God we didn't drown him."

Yes - Forry told a very similar story at our interview of the two gentlemen in August (wish I could figure how to post the blasted thing to the WWW), saying something like, "Ray was a rather rambunctious (a good word) young man, going around doing impressions of Hitler and W. C. Fields - it's a wonder we didn't strangle him and deprive the world of a great literary talent!", to which Ray chortled loudly.

Oh well, I'll have another look. I'm just inept!

OH, NO! Butch, and Phil - you've got me in, uh,
stitches!

I need a nap. After all, it's "Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care"...

OK enough of this THREAD.

Better than Donn Albright's assessment, on viewing a youthful photo of Ray, "I bet he was a damn obnoxious kid."

quote:

Originally posted by Braling II:
OH, NO! Butch, and Phil - you've got me in, uh,
stitches!

I need a nap. After all, it's "Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care"...

OK enough of this THREAD.

You're just trying to pull the wool over our eyes!

quote:

Originally posted by Doug Spaulding:
(wish I could figure how to post the blasted thing to the WWW)

What is it you're trying to post, Doug? And what's the problem? Anything I can do to help?

Doug Spaulding:

Bob Tucker dead? Yow. First hearing of it. Knew Bob for a 3 or 4 year period during the tumultuous 1970's. He would always be where you'd find him passing around a bottle of Jack Daniels and exhaling, "Smoooooooth!" He was a jolly fellow, always on the go. (Jack D. does that to some people) He was also the one that gave me some original vintage Bradbury photos... which I have posted on my website http://www.catchaway.com . Sad to hear that he died, and it's somewhat sad when you hear about it long after the fact.

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f...u...r...t...h..e...r...m...o...r...e...
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http://www.midamericon.org/tucker
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quote:

Originally posted by philnic:
What is it you're trying to post, Doug? And what's the problem? Anything I can do to help?

I'll contact you soon, my British friend - thanks!