Harlan Ellison (Again)

Harlan Ellison on Creative Piracy

Harlan Ellison — Pay the Writer

Harlan Ellison-DREAMS WITH SHARP TEETH

harlan ellison mind fields

Harlan Ellison Mind Fields part 2

Harlan Ellison Mind Fields part 3

There I am in the 1970s, at a college I’m barely able to attend, talking with two people I’d made friends with there. SF/comic/TV/movie nuts like me. And one of them drops the name of Harlan Ellison.

Who?

He repeats. And starts with some line about how he must be read.

I can’t recall when I did. But once I did, I was Never The Same.

Harlan Ellison is the first writer who showed me what it meant to be a writer.

And not just a writer, but a writer as a man.

That writing has a dignity — nearly a divinity — about it (well, he would probably disagree with the divinity bit; OK, blame Dennis Potter for that part). All those guys in the suits and ties I was raised to obey and to respect? They didn’t know shit, he said.

And he was right!

I’ve never met him. I did see him once in person at an NYU reading jillions of years ago. I’ve seen him on TV.

And now he’s getting a fraction of his due: A documentary about him.

I’ll see that too.

Thank you, Harlan.

Previously here:

Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison: Writers Guild Got Screwed!

Explore posts in the same categories: Books - Fiction, Books - Nonfiction, Movie (theatre), Video - Online, Writers - Living, Writing