Imskipper and Mr. Dark -- Sincerest thanks for your kindness. I'd love to know what you think since I agree, I feel like I know you a bit and your opinions matter to me. Your comments are much appreciated!

Dandelion - I'm going to buy a copy of your book ASAP! Congratulations!

-Greg

Both books look fascinating. Way to go! If I buy any more books, my house may collapse, but who cares.

Has anyone written the Oprah show yet?

Bradbury books dont (and shouldnt) need to be subject to this kind of pubilcity appealing only to those with no mind of their own. But if you all feel the need to struggle needlessly against the locked doors of mass media, be my guest its interesting to observe.

"Locked doors of the mass media"??? Someone sounds bitter...

Meph, are you saying that Bradbury's works are "too good" for the Oprah crowd? I think it's a terrible injustice to Ray and to his potential readers to take such a snobbish attitude.

How can exposing Ray to more readers-- especially those who might not otherwise read him--be a bad thing in any way?

I was almost force-fed a copy of F451 by a friend of mine in 9th grade. By all accounts, I was not "worthy" of Bradbury. The exposure, however, changed my life.

Sometimes people don't know the truth because they just don't know where to look for it.

Heh, bitter. um yeah, maybe, but deffinatley not worth my time to be angry (never has been). It really comes down to how much one feels one should help others and how much one believes that people should help themselves. Im still not sure what to think about oprah though, heh.

Beware the false alternative. Can't we recognize that people need to help themselves AND that it is a good thing to help others? Why is there an either/or choice?

Besides, good literature sometimes needs good publicity. I have been exposed to some really good books because someone has made a movie of it that I liked, and that motivated me to go out and buy (and read) books that I have really enjoyed. Nick Hornby for example ("About a Boy" and "High Fidelity"). Oprah's Club introduced me to some authors I may never have heard of -- authors who were quite good.

I say the more exposure good books and authors get, the better off everyone is.

Mr.Dark:

"God Helps Those
who Help Themselves"

Nope, not Scripture, like many think....
but simply just ol' Benjamin Franklin
quoted in his, The Farmer's Almanac

It's like the "cleanliness is next to godliness" line. I happen to prefer hanging around clean people, but not sure this derives directly from any scripture.