Ray Bradbury died a hero to so many writers. Readers, too, but I imagine writers felt the impact of his loss a little more deeply.
I found an old Writers Almanac entry providing a little about Ray's childhood, and thought you might find it as fascinating as I did.
When Ray was 12,
a traveling carnival came to town, and he met a magician named Mr. Electrico,
who believed young Ray was the reincarnation of a friend who had died in his
arms in World War I. Later, at the show, Mr. Electrico touched people in the
front row with his electrically charged sword, making their hair stand on end.
"When he came to me, he touched me on the brow, and on the nose, and on
the chin, and he said to me, in a whisper, 'Live forever.' And I decided
to."
Without a doubt, he will.
Here's a great clip of Ray speaking to writers:
