RIP Roger Ebert
I've been thinking about why Roger Ebert's death affected me so much (and it did); I am sure that on one hand, it's catalyzed by the very recent death of my gradmother and the anniversary of my father's death - there's a lot of stuff churning around in my head looking for expression.
But there's a lot more to it, too. Ebert was an excellent writer; he had a style that made me feel like I *got* him. More, that I knew him, and that if we lived near each other that we'd be friends. He was thoughtful, compassionate, human, and humane. He was wrong about a number of things - he doubted whether video games can be art, for one, and did not recognize the quality of Terry Gilliam's Brazil - but he always expressed himself clearly enough and without rancor that I had to respect his position.
I never met him and he never knew that I existed, but I still feel like I lost a valued friend. I think in my head, he joins my personal pantheon of saints, with Jim Henson, Buckminster Fuller, and Frank Zappa.
But there's a lot more to it, too. Ebert was an excellent writer; he had a style that made me feel like I *got* him. More, that I knew him, and that if we lived near each other that we'd be friends. He was thoughtful, compassionate, human, and humane. He was wrong about a number of things - he doubted whether video games can be art, for one, and did not recognize the quality of Terry Gilliam's Brazil - but he always expressed himself clearly enough and without rancor that I had to respect his position.
I never met him and he never knew that I existed, but I still feel like I lost a valued friend. I think in my head, he joins my personal pantheon of saints, with Jim Henson, Buckminster Fuller, and Frank Zappa.