Well Done Robin Roberts

Yesterday was one of those cold, wet-snowy Fridays

that was just perfect for reading. So yesterday, late afternoon, Smokey and I decided to finish Robin Roberts biography of Anne McCaffrey.

Now I have done my very best to contrive many associations between myself and this mystical literary icon.

And throughout this wonderful book, I have found many synchronicities with this self declared, distant, literary cousin, right down to our shared tinnitus. https://thewisenovelist.com/sfwa/

Including our dual Irish-American citizenship.

And our shared love of Equines. Indeed, Anne extrapolated the dragons that made her stories so successful from her relationships with her horses.

But yesterday, one particular quote from RR’s book (fully credited) really stood out for me.

Yes, the shared love for bawdy jokes is also another commonality, but it is the three lines that immediately follow that really hit home:

“I saw her pleasure in the magic of being in a circle of good friends and family, among whom she felt treasured, valued, and alive. This is the magic that she recreates for her readers in her books.”

Now, I have often shared how my friends and family have influenced my writing, most recently in my blogs about going back to home to Da Bronx for readings at An Beal Bocht Cafe

https://thewisenovelist.com/a-night-in-an-beal-bocht-cafe/

and Downey’s Bar & Grill

Friends and family mean everything to me. And there is nothing more thrilling than when a reviewer expresses their own desire to be able to hang with the characters that are based on those friends and family. That is the magic of The Claire Saga.

So, when I finished RR’s book yesterday evening, I sat right down and penned my 5 star review, and since I don’t expect any of you fine, five readers to go hunt it down, I’ve copied and pasted it below.

“Getting To Know Anne McCaffrey”

“Back in the late Seventies, I was a young man who had hoped to someday become a writer. I came across a used copy of Anne McCaffrey’s book Dragonflight in a Manhattan bookstore. I was fascinated by seeing the McCaffrey name across its spine, snapped it up and read it. I wasn’t a big fan of science fiction at the time, but Dragonflight captured my attention and my lifelong devotion to its author. I used to stare at it on my bookshelf for hours, wondering what it must be like to be a published author, to be Anne McCaffrey. Robin Roberts’ detailed and well written book provided everything I need to know about this amazing writer. From her childhood in NJ, education, early life as mother and wife, her breaking barriers in the Sci-fi genre, and finally to her Irish life as a successful, award winning author, was fascinating. I felt like I was hanging with the entourage and family at Dragonhold-Underhill. I could not put it down. And now that I have my own books often appearing on shelves right next to Anne’s, I feel like I finally have gotten to know her. Thank you RR for providing that for me and all of the other fans of this great lady. Well done you. Sincerely, Tom McCaffrey”

And since I have long ago lost that dated copy of AM’s Ballantine Edition of Dragonflight, that formed such an integral part of my own literary journey, I went and found the exact copy on Thriftbooks, and purchased it.

I look forward to the reread.

Now another parallel is the fact that Anne devoted a lot of time to her final home in Eire, Dragonhold-Underhill.

https://www.independent.ie/life/home-garden/homes/the-luxury-house-that-dragons-built/29087146.html

And anyone who has read more than one of my blogs, knows how important Casa Claire is to this Celtic Bard.

So, Anne and I share that common love for the homes and property where we get to experience that magic on a daily basis.

And since magic is best used for personal manifestation, when I do ultimately manifest that movie deal based upon The Claire Saga to provide me with some of the JK Rowling’s level of fuck you money, I’m going to track down the present owners of Dragonhold-Underhill and buy the property Anne McCaffrey put her heart and soul into. Turn it into a writers retreat and a rescue for animals. And spend some time there each year contriving even more connections with the literary family name. Everything starts with a dream.

Well, Saturday is upon us. I have chores to engage. But before I get too dug in, I must first spend some time being transformed into the semblance of humanity by the best damn barber in the Galaxy, Anna.

But before that can happen, I need to make sure Smokey and Mittens are fed and cuddled. And then make my rounds.

You fine, five readers do your weekend errands and then go enjoy what makes our quiet lives of desperation a little less quiet and despairing.

And no matter what else we get up to, let us make today a great one.