Greetings!

In my journies from small town to small town, I have learned of an event I wanted to share with all of you.

Sam Weller, Ray Bradbury's authorized biographer, will be speaking in Green Town, Illinois tomorrow night with a surprise guest!

At 7PM in the Waukegan Public Library (In the Ray Bradbury Room, no less!) Weller, the former Midwest Correspondent for Publishers Weekly, will discuss Bradbury's childhood and the making of the great American classic, "Dandelion Wine."

Ray Bradbury himself will be calling in from his home in Los Angeles to field questions from the audience. Ray Bradbury Returns Home!

Tickets are almost sold out for this wonderful, Bradburian event. For more information, call the Waukegan Public Library at (847) 623-6754.

LIVE FOREVER!

Mr. Electrico

Another question from Mr. Dark to Mr. Electrico . . . Has this Sam Weller biography been done, is it being done now? Is there a title?

Mr. Electrico, how did you learn of this? Are you from Waukegan or have connections there? I've been trying to make some acquaintances with a Bradbury bent in the area without success. This would mean asking extensive questions about the area as it relates to "Dandelion Wine." I tried e-mailing the Lake County Museum with just a few basic inquiries, and they wouldn't give me the time of day, so if you know anything which could prove of help to me, please advise. Thank you very much!

The name Sam Weller is totally new to me. The only forthcoming work about Bradbury of which I am aware is "Bradbury: An Illustrated Life -�A Journey to Far Metaphor," by Jerry Weist; intro by Ray Bradbury, hardback due from William Morrow in October 2002. As far as I can tell, this work is not mentioned either on this website or the HarperCollins website.

Sam Weller???
I heard of him about 3 years ago. At the time I understood he was somehow connected with the Chicago Tribune. Then I heard he did a small piece of Ray for the Sunday supplement to the Tribune, The Chicago Tribune Magazine. I tried to reach him several times without success. Too bad I can't make Waukegan tonight...I just got off of work, after 6PM, and home on Southwest side of Chicago. Will try to reach Weller elsehow (let me look up that work in the fictionary)...

More on Sam Weller::::::::::
August 8th 2002 Thursday about 10:35am

Sam Weller has been a professor at Columbia College, and written a bunch of articles for places like NewCity. Wrote a book entitled Secret Chicago (Is this something like a book version of TV's Wild Chicago?) Supposedly he has made the rounds signing copies of his book at local sites... ((more later))

Sam Weller wrote a GREAT cover story for the Chicago Tribune magazine celebrating Mr. Bradbury's 80th birthday two years ago. It was really sharp. I think you can find it on the Tribune's web site in their archives. Since then, I've seen him with Ray Bradbury at a lot of events. He's a nice guy. Very energetic, like Ray BRadbury himself. From what I gather, Jerry Weist is doing the Illustrated, Coffee Table biography of Bradbury told in pictures. Weller is doing the more in-depth bio in words with photos. Not entirely certain, however.

Ace of Space:::::
Cover story for Ray's 80th birthday!!?? Wow! I need to look into the archives of the Chicago Trib.
Also Lord John Press in Northridge, California did a green cloth hardback book on Ray for his 80th Birthday, entitled: Witness and Celebrate, with stuff by Richard Matheson, Bill Nolan, Stan Freberg etc. plus: new poems by Ray.