Good questions. There are a lot of experts here. I'm not one of them, but I do love the man and his work, and changed my life back in 9th Grade (I'm now 50).

You must consult:

RAY BRADBURY: A LIFE OF FICTION. William Touponce and Jonatyhan Eller. Kent State University Press. 2004 (I think). Simply the best critical writing on Bradbury's work that exists--and perhaps ever will exist. Excellent and comprehensive scholarship.

THE BRADBURY CHRONICLES: THE LIFE OF RAY BRADBURY. Sam Weller. William Morrow, NY. 2005. The only authorized biography of Ray Bradbury. A four-year labor of love--and it shows. Very readable, with lots of information--including tie-ins to his writing and family sources for major characters in his fiction. Nicely done!

CONVERSATIONS WITH RAY BRADBURY. Steven Aggelis. University Press of Mississippi. 2004. A collection of interviews over about a 35 year span. First hand comments by Bradbury--wherein he answers most of your very good questions above. This is based on his PhD dissertation.

BRADBURY SPEAKS: TOO SOON FROM THE CAVE, TOO FAR FROM THE STARS. Ray Bradbury. William Morrow, NY. 2005. A collection of essays by Bradbury. The scholarly value of the essays varies widely, but always passionate and fun.

1) Not a scholar or specialist, but am working on a book on his philosophical and religious ideas in his writing.

2) Influences are wide and varied. His aunt Neva (as Dandelion points out) was a huge influence. As also was a guy named Mr. Electrico. Libraries were huge with him. Other artists were very large influences--both in terms of their writing styles and subjects, and in writers (Leigh and Ellison come immediately to mind) who worked with him one-on-one in his formative years.

3) See Sam Weller's biography.

4) See Sam Weller's biography.

5) He goes back and forth on this, but generally has stated several times that his only truly science fiction work was F451--all the other works classified by others as scifi, he classifies as fantasy. The distinction he makes is that scifi COULD happen, fantasy could not. He prefers writing in a fantasy genre. (See the Hawthorne's introductiion to many of his works on why he writes "tales" rather than "stories". The thinking is similar.)

6) I agree with the comment above that to restrict ideas is to restrict thought. Socrates taught (see "The Republic") that we learn through a process of dialectic. We posit a claim, then look at all other claims and see which one is best. Without the free exchange of ideas, you can never get to "the best" ideas.

7) I think children DO have an innocence. That innocence ought to be protected. They should be exposed to the harsher realities of life when older and more capable of dealing with it. The nostalgia is partly fantasy, but partly reality. In my own life, I had loving parents and fantastic siblings. I always hear people say there never were "Leave it to Beaver" families, but I disagree. There were. Mine was one of them.

8) Greatest achievement is his writing--which continues to transform lives and people's vision of life from one generation to the next. The other is his passionaate prosetyzing for the use of the imagination. That missionary zeal is contagious and the world's problems are more like to be solved, and people's live more likely to be successfully naviaged when the imagination is alive and encouraged.

9). I think his style and poeticism/lyricism. In another book authored by Touponce--something about Reverie, Bradbury's gift for (I'm wildly paraphrasing as I don't have the book with me) causing us to participate in a creative endeavor as we read his writing, is unusual. He creates a world of imagination in which the reader may fully participate.

10). F451, SWTWC, MC and several fantastic stories. Don't have time to do the "why" right now, but it's a significant question. Wish I could fully answer it right now.

11) Yes, and he has had an impact on the technology.

Sorry that's all I have time for.

Why, Mr. Dark! How nice to hear from you. As for Leave It To Beaver, Mayberry, or Green Town, I agree. I ran in fields and came out covered with milkweed or burdock. My dog heard my dad's two fingered whistle and ran home ahead of us, stealing our excuse of not hearing the come home to dinner call. My best friend, sure! But that all white dog's stomach overruled loyalty at dinner time.

Today I still watch the Cleaver's reruns with our young two boys. They love it. Topics of honesty, responsibility, decisions, family, and all that corny stuff. Gosh, you know, it beats all that prime time mumbo jumbo they regularly serve up for consumption. Vulgarity, sexual content, lies and cheats, and then another lame commercial for a violent movie about more lies and cheats. The White Clown, indeed!

So, reading RB is an escape to a place better or at least it offers imaginative and thought provoking themes in a wide range of styles. From social mores, to distant worlds, to hometowns filled with kids afraid of the shadows (simply because they are kids), to the best friend or loved one you never thought you would lose being lost. Mr. Dark, you've once again stirred the pot. Thanks.

Video conferences with Ray are already a reality. Next: a holographic Ray in your classroom!

Hi Julie--

I responded to your email last week. I sent you my office phone number so feel free to call it. I don't have the time to respond to each question and have found that when I have done so in the past, I just end up doing the homework for the students asking the questions. Gimme a call.

Hi to everyone else on this board!

SW
www.bradburychronicles.com

Hello Mr. Weller,

Your book about Ray was fantastic. I checked it out from the library twice, and then purchased it. I am looking forward to the festivities in Waukegan in October, they said you were to be a guest. I hope I can meet you and get you to sign my book.

Quick questions, are you actively pursuing a search to find out who Mr. Electrico is and what became of him? Do you know if Ray cares to find out one way or another? Would it diminish the mystique and myth of him? Just wondering. It could be a book in itself, if the truth about him surfaced.

Ah, a Dark moment to brighten up our day. Very pleasant to see your posting, Mr. Dark. I feel the same about “Leave It To Beaver” and had a similar upbringing. A lot of Norman Rockwell type influences too.

Did you know that Hugh Beaumont (who played Ward Cleaver) was a Methodist (I think) minister and wrote and directed some of the episodes?

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No, but that explains why he came across the way he did. When bringing up my own kids I always tried to emulate my father and Ward Cleaver. And I’ve never regretted it.

Did you that know Hugh Beaumont? Braling, your still in the Shakespeare mode, better get that module tweeked again...wherefore am I whispering, you ask. Tippytoe back to resources and peak at my "firedrill" posting, look how many have viewed it. I hope nobody else views it. To get back to topic, I loved the episode where Beaver gets stuck in a big coffee cup. I liked Eddie and Gus the fireman. The whole show really. It really wasn't like that in my family. Now if we are in the car and the kids are fighting in the back, I'll turn around and say,"don't make me fly out of this seat", just like my mom used to do, but(and this be a huge but, because I've learned ALOT how to be different)then I start flapping my arms like a bird, and even if I was mad and they were fighting, we end up laughing instead and whatever minor thing they were doing(being kids for instance) is forgotten. Chapter, it sounds like you had an outstanding father, and he had an outstanding son! You must have a fine family. I'm not saying mine were all bad, just a heavy dose of disfunction coursing through us. Waddya gonna do, holler, "wherefore me"?

In case its changed, when I wrote this, the viewed number was 451. I tripped when I noticed it.

Blimey! I just went back and it was 452! Wherefore can't people leave well enough alone. I may as well erase this whole post now. Or I could give a timely weather report, snow flurries here, cold 31 deg., dark. Or I could skedaddle off to never never land. Sweet dreams.

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A big HELLO to Sam!

Mr. Lincoln, sounds like you’ve got it nailed. Seems to me flapping your arms was exactly the right thing to do.

Gus the Fireman! Burt Mustin - one of the greats.
http://www.dougmacaulay.com/kingspud/sel_by_actor_index...rt&actor_last=Mustin

Beaver’s time machine.

Thanks Braling for sharing that, and Chapter for being a good listener. I'm trying to do more of that, it helps. Can you just hear his voice as he tells the Beav, that "it's probably a good idea to give the quarter back to Larry and you'll both feel better."

side note, Carl Maulden turned 94 today and on Good Morning America, they highlighted some guy who worked for the N.Y. Transit Authority, did not catch his name, but he turns 100 today, and only missed like a day of work. The city gave him a plague and announced this day whatever his name is as his special day.

Still flapping(& building) my wings....on the way down

Hmmm... Wonder what plague they gave him. Jealous of his being healthy all those years I guess...