George Calef’s great old Labrador Heidi Brown, who was based in Whitehorse in the Yukon but hunted all over North America, has died at thirteen. She probably hunted more species than any other living dog; here are some thoughts from George. “Heidi Brown passed away early this morning in the cabin she loved, and knew …
Tag: RIP
Burton Apache: ?- Sept 2012
Sadly, I have not just this one but several elegies due for lost friends recently, some of whom I knew better than Burt, some still to write. But his death this week hit me strangely hard, perhaps because he was more than ten years younger than me. Burton was a member of the Alamo, our …
Jane Huntington Weiner 1917- 2012
Jane Huntington Weiner, Betsy’s oldest sister and surviving sibling, died, lucid to the end, in Massachusetts yesterday. She was born in 1917 in Anwei, China, raised (by strangest coincidence) with Libby’s mother Patty Lucas Adam, eventually came to the states, attended Radcliffe, and survived an adventurous youth to become a serene mother and gardener and …
T. H. White quote #1: Requiem for a faithful dog
On the death of his beloved setter Brownie: “But listen to this, bitch, and you, Grim Powers, If any road ever leads up to heaven’s towers My bitch comes with me. When I come to die We go together, my bitch and I. Or, if you fear to let such love return Go to, and …
RIP: Hawker’s Dachs Diamond Lil, 1996- 2012
Lily the wire- haired dachs, aka “Diamond Lil, Born to Kill”, whelped at Teddy Moritz’s place in New Jersey and a long- time resident at Casa Q in New Mexico, died in Libby’s arms yesterday at the ripe old age of 16. She had various cancers and a mouth infection and was losing weight and …
Harry Crews, RIP
Just got the news from Tom McIntyre that Harry Crews, author of A Feast of Snakes, Car, The Hawk is Dying, A Childhood, and other wonderful books, is dead at 76. Over his long life he wrote beautifully and grotesquely about death and love, hawking, hounds, chickenfights, karate, and eating a car. He lived hard, …
Sad Week
I just got word from Alan Gates that Aralbai has died at just 54.(Photo by Cat)He might have been “The Coolest Man in the World” and was a serious drinking companion, but many people from many countries from here to England to Japan (I may tell that tale later) appreciated him as a guide and …
Christopher Hitchens 1949- 2011 RIP
Damn but we are losing some good ones. I hardly always agreed with “Hitch” (who could?) but AM inclined to agree with Jonathan Hanson: “The collective IQ of the planet just dropped noticeably.” Update: hunter, man of letters, and Catholic Tom McIntyre is another not uncritical admirer. He writes: “According to NPR, Hitch’s most important …
More John Lincoln Wright
Ironically but not surprisingly John Lincoln Wright’s few surviving recordings are now going through the roof. I only hope as commenter Pat said “… Rounder or some other outfit will release all of John’s music on CD.” Pat pointed me to some good YouTube links. If you don’t have time for the whole list, “I’m …
John Lincoln Wright RIP
The finest country and country swing musician in New England, John Lincoln Wright, died last week at 64. He was a friendly acquaintance rather than a close friend; we attended Boston College together for a brief couple of months together in ’67 (we both left); and later I worked in a Cambridge bar (the lamented …