RIP Charles Brown
Posted By Kathleen David on July 14, 2009
Phone Rings
“Del Rey Book. Kathleen speaking.”
“Kathleen, it’s Charles.”
“Hey Charles.”
“We didn’t get the covers for August and I see in the July covers you are doing another cover for Dragondroppings. Can you find out what happened and make sure we get a copy of the new cover? Oh and do you have the schedule for us?”
The schedule being the publication dates of our up coming releases and the bane of my existence at times.
“Soon Charles. Soon.”
“So how’s Peter?” and we would chat for a few about people we knew in common and books coming out or just out and he would try to pump me for info and I wouldn’t give him the info. It was a game we both played and we both knew the rules to it.
That was my dealings with Mr. Brown. Business then social.
I know people who wanted to throw Charles down a deep well and I know even more who were his friend and appreciated all that he did. He sometimes was not the easiest guy to get along with but I always felt his heart was in the right place. His passion for the written word was evident. He loved reading and he wanted everyone else to read books too.
He was at ReaderCon this weekend and passed away in his sleep on his way home. He went out doing what he loved, talking about the written word.
Locus will go on. Charles had a plan for it in case of his demise. The next issue is pretty much ready to go to press. Locus was his legacy to the rest of fandom and it is in good hands.
I am grateful that I knew Charles Brown.
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