fjp451,
Regarding your reference to Ray’s “No Particular Night or Morning” and Hemingway’s “A Clean Well-Lighted Place”: I don’t see Ray using Hemingway’s voice in this but I do see a similarity to the stories in that they are about someone who is looking for a livable reality but is separating himself from it.

For an example of Ray using Papa’s voice and mood I still recommend “I See You Never”.

This is only vaguely related I know but it just came to mind thinking of the old man in Hemingway’s story. Occasionally, in front of the corner grocery, I would see an old man walking slowly down the sidewalk and I mean slowly—a shuffle. He was bent over and his elbows were about up to his shoulder blades. Following faithfully behind was his dog, ancient as he and stopping once in a while to catch its breath. Two good friends. I don’t see them there anymore.

Our nada who art in nada, Nada be thy nada. Nada y Nada y nada...no ship, no space ship, no people, no plants, No Stars. Never was...and Hitchcock falling in the middle of nothing.

RB's style is short and concise, almost matter of fact, while the tragic life of Hitchcock is about to unwind and he steps out into the emptiness of space. Maybe the stylistics of the story are not as evident as in other cases, but the parallels (and ironies) seem, at least, interesting. Symbolism, not RB's forte, is apparent (a definite key to EH writing); then bells ringing (tolling) for Hitchcock "...(as he) opened an airlock. Then climbed out into space--alone." EH the realist (writer) in contrast to Hitchcock (an adventurous spaceman) seeking something real.

But then, I am of the belief that Montag and Hamlet are parallel characters!

RE: Chap 31, the elderly gentleman and his best friend, nice that you still look for and think of them. Thus, they live forever! Maybe someday when your mind is on other matters and far removed, you will look up into a bright blue sky and for just a moment in time see them again, strolling together amidst the billowy white clouds.

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I listened to a talk show host today ranting away at teachers and the fact that reading is going further down the tubes across the country. I guess that is the state of affairs these days. Well, I strive to be able to say, "Not in my room..."

Here is a list of literature we covered (thoroughly) in my frosh and senior classes: The Hobbit, The Yearling, The Outsiders, Romeo and Juliet, Odyssey of Homer (10 parts, lyric form), Mythology (Edith Hamilton), My Antonia, Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, Major American Poets, Miracle Worker, All Quiet on the Western Front, Ethan Frome, Death of a Salesman, Hamlet, Fahrenheit 451, Authors of American S.S., A Mid-Summer Night's Dream, Snows of Kilimanjaro, Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, Martian Chronicles, Time Machine, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and an independent (full length book) selecton in each class. (Grammar, vocabulary, composition, and spelling, too. No, I am not Ichabod Crane!)

At the end of the school year, if approached with a proper amount of enthusiasm, the tank is just about done and fumes do keep one going until the final reports are turned in. How about these two occurrences that took place in the span of a few days? Both meant quite a bit, even after numerous years in the trenches, and proved RB related:

In the middle of a class, a student-guide carrying a bright blue and white carnation (with note attached) entered my room. It is not that unusual for students to send things to one another when it is a birthday, an academic or athletic award has been received, or, as with this instance, graduation is at hand. It usually gives me a chance to make a light-hearted comment to the recipient, who immediately blushes (guys, too) or gives me a look of "thanks a lot for the added stress!"

So, when the thoughtful gift was brought to my desk and left for me, all bets were off and the tables were turned on moi. (My wife will occasionally pull something like this just to keep me on my toes, but not this time.) My seniors gave me a good dose of jabbing.

After class I opened the note which read: "Thanks Mr. P. for teaching me to appreciate reading, something I always found difficult to do. Your passion for books has greatly impressed me, and it made all the difference in my high school years. Now, I love to read." (This from a girl I had in class grades 9, 10, 12.)
Imagine!

Then, two nights ago, I was returning home from an hour and half trip to see family members south of where we live. It was about 10 pm, my younger son was sleeping in the back (safely secured, of course), while my older boy was serving as my co-pilot. He kept me talking about baseball, music, books, porcupines, snapping turtles, constellations, and just about anything else he could think of. We wended along back country roads, passing rolling fields of new corn ("Knee high by the Fourth of July!"), small lakes, and wisps of fog in the lower valleys. The Blues of Big Bill Morganfield and the Jazz of John Coltrane accompanied our random discourse.

Anyhow, we stopped to get a couple of cold juices at a small roadside store. "Hey, Mr. P! How are you doing?" (Oh, great! Somebody knows me in the middle of nowhere, a half hour from home?) It was a former student I once had as a tenth grader and who had graduated several years ago. After exchanging cordial greetings, he went on to tell me he is currently an English teacher in a very successful school district in central NY State. He informed me, prior to the end of this school year, he finished teaching Fahrenheit 451 to an honors group of seniors. I was especially delighted when he told me that my love of Ray Bradbury and his reading of 451 in my class had motivated him to teach the novel to his students. The greatest compliment came, however, when he told me he had shared these same comments with his class while introducing the unit.
Indeed!

Two in one week - Thanks Mr. B!! And to so many of You here who are a part of keeping my reading and writing sparks glowing.

(Three!!! - and for the very pleasant conversation, Biplane. Great anecdotes on many topics...)

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What a great list. What a lucky bunch of kids.

Ah. Sometimes the rewards of one's labours are refreshingly evident! Yet, how much easier your job would be if our society valued wisdom and knowledge as much as it does wealth, fame, athletic prowess, beauty, etc. I fear that most kids in our schools are only interested in learning how to be popular. Of course, this societal condition make all the more valuable the experiences you've recounted above!

Thank you too, Frank, for sharing these very neat and meaningful experiences. And something that I have really enjoyed from being involved in the Ray Bradbury Board is the opportunity to visit apart from the Board, as we did last evening, and as I have with Braling II, dandelion, Chapter 31, and others.

Congratulations on your teaching success and your students' appreciation of it. Ray's writing is certainly the gift that keeps on giving!

As a fellow teacher, I certainly enjoyed your two stories, fjp451. On the bad days, things like that can keep us going. I actually keep kind notes from parents or students on my fridge and every now and then take them down and reread them. Thankfully for me, there are still far more good days than bad days, and I suspect this is true for you, also. Your list of novels was very impressive. I think any students in your classes are lucky to have you for their teacher!!

I read Neuromancer by William Gibson and The Halloween Tree while on vacation in Florida. I really loved Neuromancer, it was a real page turner. If anyone knows of similiar caliber books of that type, please let me know. I'm now reading Out Of The Deeps by John Wyndham, is good.

What happened to “The Caves of Steel” and “The Demolished Man”? Are they still lurking about?

I know, I know, I'm such an indecisive person especially with books. I had it all mapped out, then I made the mistake of looking in my "to read" drawer before leaving and grabbed more. In a way, I like it that way, more of a surprise. I had to put Joseph Conrad away for a while. Caves of Steel and Demolished Man are cued up next...I think.

By the way, I did enjoy Halloween Tree immensely. It seemed a little remedial at first, but as I got into the spirit of it, I was swept away as usual. I couldn't help noticing that the word "murmur/murmuring" made its appearance at least ten times. I could really see that tree shining brightly with all those thousands of faces and the smoke coming out of Moundshrouds nose and mouth. Ray sure has some great names for his characters in his stories. There should be a thread dedicated to just the names of them all. God bless Pip, the many!

Tuesday July 4th.- Happy Independence Day everyone! Let the fire-balloons fly!! I just finished reading Out of the Deeps by John Wyndham this morning. I liked it a lot, in a way it seems parallel to what is currently going on now with global warming, only the culprit in this situation is not aliens living on the bottom of the ocean. I started The Caves of Steel this morning as well, next will try The Demolished Man by Bester. Trying to stick to this for now. On the horizon is another Bradbury book, then maybe try out A Canticle for Leibovitz(?). Must say though now that I have discovered cyber-punk, I really want to delve into that genre more, but we'll see.

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I finished Caves of Steel. I enjoyed it way more than I Robot, and I liked that too. It wasn't the Spacers I feared, it was the Medievals. I started The Demolished Man by Bester just now. I plan on Canticle next.

You must be having a good time.

I try.