Sunday, October 16, 2005

Ed Gorman

Ed Gorman has made (so he says) his final post to his blog. If you haven't seen it already, click the link and take a look before you read anything else I have to say.

Ed has done more for the mystery field than just about anybody I can think of, through Mystery Scene and Five Star books, just to name a couple of venues. Five Star has revived careers and launched them. It's given writers a place to publish books that the bigger houses wouldn't touch, books that garnered rave reviews in PW and Kirkus when they appeared. Ed's not Five Star, but he's a driving force.

And that's not all. I suspect that there are dozens of writers, maybe more than that, whom Ed has personally helped out in one way or another. He's been incredibly generous with a lot of us, especially me. I'm not going to list all the ways he's helped me, but I owe him a lot. Believe me.

I love reading Ed's blog, or just about anything he writes. I'm always amazed at his ability to write about movies, books, and other writers, especially the books and writers of the Gold Medal era. I think he has a better understanding of them than just about anyone.

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that Ed better not have made the final post to his blog. I'm counting on his complete and total recovery and his eventual return to blogging. I suspect that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of others who feel the same way. I'm not deleting my bookmark, and that's final.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

My bookmark stays as well. I wish him the best and hope for a speedy return.

Steve Stilwell

Cap'n Bob said...

I'm in for the long haul, too. I read Ed's blog last night and fired off an e-mail to him that echoes what you said. I hope he has a chance to read it, and I'm sure there will be many more from others. I don't think the mystery world fully appreciates all he has done for it, but it's a ton and we all owe him for it.

Unknown said...

I'm with you guys. I refuse to believe the blog is cancelled; it's just on hiatus.

Sandra Scoppettone said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Sandra Scoppettone said...

I learned of Ed's so-called final post (I refuse to believe it) through Sara Weinman's blog. I hope you're wrong cap'n bob about the mystery world not knowing what he's done for it. I think perhaps readers don't know, but an awful lot of writers do. He's the heart of the mystery world and I look forward to hearing that beat again.

Anonymous said...

I've watched someone very close to me deal with multiple myeloma, and know that it can be an uphill battle. I've been a quiet fan of Ed's for quite a while, and get the sense that if anyone can come through this sort of thing with flying colours, he can...and will.

Anonymous said...

Ed's love poems about the Gold Medal writers and their books sparked my interest not only in those books, but others like them, and started me off on my own road to writing crime fiction. He convinced me that genre writing could actually say something. I hope he gets well.

Anonymous said...

Ed gave me my first short story break many years back,and I can't thank him enough. Not only for that, but for all the support he has given me over the years.

I remember at one point he was feeling down and I told him, "Don't let the bastards grind you down." It made him laugh. He's a fighter, and I am sure that he'll pull through.

Hang in there, feller, and God speed.

Mike Stotter

Anonymous said...

Let me add my praise to what has gone on before. His blog has been the center of the crime/mystery community--writers, collectors, editors and fans. Hell, throw westerns in there as well. It's our hang-out place.
I've admired Ed's writing for years, spoke to him once on the phone many years ago when he wanted to reprint something of mine in Mystery Scene. But I really didn't KNOW Ed until I became devoted to the blog. Boy, I am really going to miss that regular dose of Ed. I am too disorganized to read it every day. I dropped in every few days and caught up with all the posts. I asked Ed to leave up the archives but that may not be practical. I'd like to have reruns to tide me over until Ed gets through this promising treatment and decides to take up the reins again. Richard Moore

Anonymous said...

I just had to read the last entry via Google's cached text, inasmuch as the blog is down. James Reasoner has reported since, via WesternPulps, that Ed has written JR to say he might be better off now than he dared hope, and I think we all can rejoice in that, and hope that the damned thing is beaten down indefinitely.