Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 23:31:30 -0400
From: "Mike B." <omni at omniphile.com>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Robert Asprin Obit?
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

dicconf wrote:
> On Fri, 30 May 2008, Steve Smith wrote:
>> On May 29, 2008, at 9:55 PM, dicconf wrote:
>>> On Wed, 28 May 2008, Steve Smith wrote:
>>>
>>>> Could somebody who knew Bob (or Yang) better that I did (barely)
>>>> please write up something for the WSFA Journal?  The only thing I've
>>>> seen is the short notice at <http://www.mythadventures.net/>
>>> Here's some information.  NB there seems to be some confusion about
>>> the details; what I read first said he had died in bed and I think
>>> that's been confirmed. The "on the way to the con" seems to be based
>>> on "just before MarCon".
>>>
>>> =Tamar Lindsay
>> Thanks, but I was hoping for something by somebody local who knew
>> him.  I'm *not* the person to write an obit for him ...
>
> There's a difference between an obit and a reminiscence or eulogy.
> You could put out a call for reminiscences.
>
> Here are some of mine:
>
> I wouldn't say I knew him but I certainly have memories of hearing
> him sing, teach filking, and comment on various topics at cons for
> years.  I got into fandom and the SCA in 1972 and he was quite
> active at the east coast cons and visited east coast SCA events
> in the 70s.

For me it was mid-70s, and I never met him in person, but I went to
school with Jacqui Freas, and her mom, Polly, used to tape the
pro-parties at cons when they were singing.  Kelly would usually be
drawing people to get features into his memory to use when doing faces
(one reason why all his people look different). I hope my memory hasn't
gotten this wrong, but I remember one song that Mr. Asprin did as a
result of Kelly Freas putting him on the cover of Analog (Mr. Freas was
present for the singing, as was a copy of the Analog in question, and
there was much hilarity from all present at the song).

The cover of Analog had a large robot-like thing on it, with a door open
in the chest, and a man dressed as a court jester crawling out, with a
rolled up Analog in one hand.  The man was Bob Asprin.

His revenge was a song to the tune of "With her head tucked underneath
her arm".  I don't recall all of it, but it went something like this:

In the SF bowers, late at night,
A man named Kelly Freas stalks the halls.
A felt tip pen clutched madly in his right...
The deadly instrument with which he scrawls!
And what he scribbles halfway through the night,
 From any other man would mean a fight!

With his sketch...pad...underneath his arm, he stalks the SF bowers!
With his sketch...pad...underneath his arm, he can draw for hours!

You go out to a party,
You tie onto a dog,
You toss a couple doubles down,
You're walking in a fog,
And when you sober up you're on the front of Analog!!
With his sketch pad underneath his arm!

> He began to pull back a little from testing his story ideas at
> conventions by telling stories between songs when he realized
> that if he wore out an idea by telling it, he lost interest
> in writing it.

I'm not an author, but I've tried, and I've noticed that same effect.
Stories need to be told, but they don't care how you do it, and once
they are told, the energy is gone.

-- Mike B.
--
It did what?  Well, it's not supposed to do that.