Hi Everyone--

I've been horrible at checking in here, all apologies.

I'm off to Miami tomorrow for the Big Read event. These things have been really terrific--real celebrations of the great Ray Bradbury and his masterpiece, FAHRENHEIT 451. The people in Boise and in Buffalo were all terrific. Thanks Little Ricky for the kind words, I remember signing your book--your observations about the TOYNBEE CONNECTOR were right on. Ray even told me once that the short story "The Toynbee Convector" was one of his own personal favorites.

Now, onto the sunshine state! Biplane--Can't wait to meet you! It's taken a year to get to Florida beind this book, but it's finally happening. Please come up and introduce yourself.

I just spoke with Ray and he's good to go! He's working on Leviathan 99: The novel at the moment. He just sent me SOMEWHERE A BAND IS PLAYING and it is vintage Bradbury.

Hopefully video cameras are allowed as Ray is guarenteed to be brilliant as always.

More events on the horizon:

•I will be at the Printers Row Book Fair in Chicago on June 3rd moderating a mystery writers panel.

•There is a HUGE Bradbury Festival planned for late October in Waukegan. There will be much more info on this soon. This is going to be the MONSTER of all Bradbury gatherings. Readings, movies, music, documentaries, speakers, town tours etc. etc.

•I will be at the Bram Stoker Awards In mid-June as THE BRADBURY CHRONICLES was nominated in the nonfiction category.

Talk to you all soon!

Sam Weller
www.bradburychronicles.com

Thanks for the update and all the good news, Sam. It's always great to hear from you!! Have fun in Florida. I'll be there in spirit. Right now the CD player in my car has the CD from the Big Read down there, thanks to biplane. And I'll definitely be headed to Waukegan in October since that's almost my neck of the woods. Congratulations on the nomination for the Bram Stoker award. I hope you win!!

Sam, thanks so much for the update!

Just let me know who I have to kill, I mean, what arrangements one has to make, and I will attend the Bradbury event in Waukegan.

Also, if there are ANY "Big Read" events planned in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho, please post here, let me know by email, or both, as far ahead of the event as possible! Thanks!

Thank you so much Sam! I can't wait to meet you in Waukegan!

Here's a NEA page about the Big Read:
http://www.nea.gov/news/news05/BigReadAnnounce.html
There's a contact phone number there too for more details.
Apparently, there are 10 communities involved.
Looks like there's gonna be one in Enterprise, OR, wherever that is. The closest one to me will be in Fresno, CA (ik!)

There you go, Dandelion! The one in Oregon is on Fahrenheit, too!!

Wonder how the one in Boise, Idaho, went in April, as I might actually have been able to attend that had I known of it?

The one in Oregon has already been, and, as I said, would have been actually about the same if not more difficult for me to attend. I do know people in both communities I could have stayed with but they must not have known about it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: dandelion,

Has anyone ever heard anything new from Sam Weller?