Does anyone know of any Bradbury specialist I could get in touch with for an interview? If you are one yourself would you be willing to answer a few questions for me. I need an interview for my literary specialist project at school. Thanks!!

We have specialists here and can name names.

alright which ones do you know of? That would be great!

I would try to contact Sam Weller through the Bradbury Chronicles website.

See next posting

Better chance to get a hold of Mr. Bradbury himself. In meanwhile, fire away. Someone here is liable to have the right answers...!

Alright I guess I will fire away my questions for any of you Bradbury specialists out there with the time to spare.

Here it goes:
1. What qualifies you as a Ray Bradbury specialist and what made you want to devote your time to studying his life and work?
2. Who or what was Bradbury's biggest influences towards his writing career?
3. Also, how has his family inspired him?
4. Are there any characters Ray has based on himself or other people in his life?
5. There is still a debate on whether or not he is a true science fiction writer. Would you consider him a "true" science fiction writer? Why or why not?
6. Why do you think Bradbury is so concerned with censorship and the restriction of ideas which he addresses in a lot of his work?
7. It seems like Bradbury has a great love for his childhood and is a little nostaligic about it in some of his works like Dandelion Wine. Children seem to have this innocence about them that he portrays in his writing. What's your take on this?
8. What do you think is Bradbury's greatest achievement outside of the literary world(maybe something in television or theater)?
9. What is one thing that makes Ray stand out from other writers?
10. What is your personal favorite work of Bradbury's and why?
11. Do you think the technological advances that Bradbury has lived through had an impact on his writing?

Okay thats it for now. Thanks for whoever can help!

1. What qualifies you as a Ray Bradbury specialist

Reading every word of his for which I've had a chance (still several books behind) and corresponding with him by mail, phone, and in person.

and what made you want to devote your time to studying his life and work?

Best writer ever, wonderful human being.

2. Who or what was Bradbury's biggest influences towards his writing career?

Probably the many writers he read.

3. Also, how has his family inspired him?

His Aunt Neva, who encouraged his imagination, was a big influence.

4. Are there any characters Ray has based on himself or other people in his life?

Yes, quite a few.

5. There is still a debate on whether or not he is a true science fiction writer. Would you consider him a "true" science fiction writer? Why or why not?

Well, I would but I don't understand much about science. He got pigeonholed with that term way back although it doesn't apply to all or even most of his writing.

6. Why do you think Bradbury is so concerned with censorship and the restriction of ideas which he addresses in a lot of his work?

Anyone who can restrict peoples' ideas can control them.

7. It seems like Bradbury has a great love for his childhood and is a little nostaligic about it in some of his works like Dandelion Wine. Children seem to have this innocence about them that he portrays in his writing. What's your take on this?

It depends on the children. Bradbury often portrays the dark side of childhood, even in "Dandelion Wine," with "Season of Disbelief." (The story of Mrs. Bentley and three children.)

8. What do you think is Bradbury's greatest achievement outside of the literary world (maybe something in television or theater)?

Television and theater are still literary but he has done a lot of other things such as working on city design.

9. What is one thing that makes Ray stand out from other writers?

I want to say style but I'd be safer saying presentation of ideas, which translates into any number of languages.

10. What is your personal favorite work of Bradbury's and why?

"Dandelion Wine" or "The October Country" depending on my mood because of its perfect blend of action and atmosphere.

11. Do you think the technological advances that Bradbury has lived through had an impact on his writing?

Undoubtedly, but he was able to predict where certain developments were heading better than 99% of other people.

Get your hands on a copy of Ray Bradbury, an American Icon (vhs format). The man speaks his mind and you can quote it!

As for specialists! You have the likes of Dandelion, Nard, Biplane, et al, here who have been bantering on the author's works and philosophies for (literally) years. No pun intended.

Dig into the files and get details from a search of "FH 451" He is with Mr. B on a daily basis. Sam Weller's recent bio is pricelss. Jerry Weist's highly illustrated text a few years back is also great.

Otherwise, do a search on line and download any of numerous interviews in text or audio. Also, see "Ray at Home" (from the main menu of this very site - video of RB). Hope this helps.

Great response, Dandy and fjp!
I wish I could qualify as a "specialist", though I'd probably have to devote several hours a day to the task, to say nothing of actually getting to know the man personally.
I did meet him twice, but, as it was at two of his talks, it was only for a minute or so and with lots of other folks.
How about a Bradbury aficionado?

Dandelion: Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I wish I could get to know Bradbury as well as you do. He seems like an amazing person. I've only just started reading his novels and short-stories, but I've loved everything so far. I don't know of anyone who has successfully written for such a long time in his or her life like Bradbury. I recently read Dandelion Wine and that is also one of my favorites along with The Martian Chronicles. I appreciate your help!

fjp451: Thanks for all the advice! I did e-mail Sam Weller so I'm still waiting to see if he responds. I will definitely try to get my hands on his bio though. I actually did check out the "Ray at Home" videos and they're great! Thanks!

Julie Broderick

As to question number 5: Is Ray a SFI guy? If you spell it: science FICTION - then, yes he writes about the future and its infinite possibilities, without dwelling on the immediate science aspects and limittions of current knowledge. He has predicted many technological inventions in his stories - "There Will Come Soft Rains" and Fahrenheit 451 come to mind - but the emphasis was always on the humanity and how the future affected people. I would say that Ray follows in the steps of some of the greatest Fantasy Fiction writers - such as John Collier and Poe. What a joy to have been alive and to have met the man and watched his work become famous, as he took his rightful place up on the shelf with the others.

Just finished Martian Chronicles with Gr. 12 lit today. We read everyday orally. What a wonder!

Illya, Spender, Tomas and the Martian, Usher II, (hey, BrII - recognize anyone?), Long Years, the Soft Rains!!, the Million Yr. Picnic, the Musicians, those ancient structures and brilliantly colored canals (sometimes wine, then purple, green, or blue), the crystal books and bee guns, and the Martians in their sand ships.

I selected 8-10 episodes from RB Theater, MC tv series and video RB Chronicles, along with s.s. of on tape with RB reading his works to supplement discussions. Students really enjoyed it. Now they will write (including a letter to the man himself!).

Frank, that sounds like a lot of hard work on your part but a lot of fun as well. Especially when you bring the words of Ray Bradbury alive as you have done.

What a resource the boxed DVD set of The Ray Bradbury Theatre is and to be able to incorporate it into a classroom setting--just fantastic. Wouldn't it be neat to have Ray sitting in a corner of the room while this was all playing out? Wouldn't he be overjoyed?

I know how much fun it was when I was able to teach The Drummer Boy of Shiloh with a recorded interview over the phone with Ray as to why he wrote the story when it was neither science fiction nor fantasy. After playing the interview we read the story. A great experience!

Biplane, I have found the dvd collection extremely true to Mr. Bradbury's works. Very helpful. Once we have read and discussed themes, written, etc., it is like seeing his words and images play right out on the screen.