Hi, many many years ago I recal hearing a Ray Bradbury story on the radio - it might have been written for radio or might have been from a short story. It was about a man who goes back to the house where he was born and remembers that when he left the house aged 9 he left a message to himself "when old" in a hole in a tree. Can anyone tell me anything about this story.
Also can anyone tell me who is Bradbury's agent?
thanks
Brendan

Hi brendan and welcome!

This sounds like Mr. Bradbury's poem REMEMBERANCE, the first in the collection When Elephants Last in the Dooryard Bloomed. Interesting if it was on radio. Wonder who read it and when?

brendan,

I can confirm that Brother Tarkas is right, it's REMEMBRANCE. The message he finds in the hole in the tree says, "I remember you. I remember you."

In 1990, the people of Bradbury's hometown (Waukegan, Illinois) dedicated a park to Bradbury, and the dedication plaque says "We remember you, we remember you."

Bradbury might have read the poem on radio himself. It was also featured visually in a BBC TV documentary about Ray in 1980. They dramatised the poem, and had Ray climbing up a tree to reach into the squirrel hole.

Your second question: Ray's agent is Don Congdon. If you search the board for "Congdon", you should easily turn up his contact details.

Ironic exchange here, Phil! Our trip across country to Mr. B's 89th allowed me much reading time. I especially enjoyed on the homeward journey They Have Not Seen the Stars, signed while on hand. Now, back in the classroom, and always in search of tricks to lead teen writers toward recognizing the metaphors-galore that fill their energetic lives, I have recently called upon Mr. B's poems.

His verse is really quite a different experience when you delve into these collections uninterrupted. When Elephants Last in Doorways..., Where Robot Mice and Robot Men Run Round in Robot Towns, and Burnt-Out Priests, Rabbis and Ministers, along with the aforementioned collected Poems, are being shared, read orally and discussed. Throw in some choice chapters of Zen in the Art of Writing, and I look forward to many creative pieces in the coming semester.

Brendan and all! Enjoy:

http://holyjoe.org/poetry/bradbury.htm

very many thanks to all - extremely useful and you've given me all I need to know. So pleased to have found this site. I started reading Ray's work in the 60's and I'm sure he was a great influence on my later career as a screenwriter (the weirdly appropriate, pithy, disturbing, image). He was always a master.
Again, many thanks!
Brendan

brendan, as a screenwriter, and someone who asked about Ray's agent, I wonder if you are interested in adapting one of his stories.

Hi Doug,
Yes I might indeed be interested - my memory's a bit vague on that story - where can it be found and why do you think it would be particularly good for a screen adaptation? Also how easy is it to get Ray's OK on the copyright (essential for writing a script and for selling it).
Cheers
Brendan

quote:

Originally posted by brendan:
Also how easy is it to get Ray's OK on the copyright (essential for writing a script and for selling it).

I've had dealings with this in the past (to a lesser degree).

Email me on forrestjbradbury at gmail dot com.

John

Doug
Don't understand your email address

quote:

Originally posted by brendan:
Doug
Don't understand your email address

Replace the word AT with @ and the word DOT with a period. Then scrunch all those words together to form a standard email address. (this is done to prevent a 'bot' from 'sniffing' out email addresses to add to spamming lists.)